Truth Serum, Kidnapping, and a Garden! Oh my!
by animefan021513
Summary: Aziraphale is a bit shaken by the place that Crowley created when he stopped time. So, he gives Crowley a truth serum specially made for beings like him and Crowley. Soon, they find out that Gabriel is kidnapped by demons and needs their help. What truths will be revealed about Crowley? Who was he before he fell? What will his memories reveal when TESTED for REDEMPTION?
1. Chapter 1

It had been two weeks since the Apocawasn't, and I was driving in my favorite and only car on the way to the bookshop. Aziraphale seemed upset on the phone and he stuttered. Well, he stutters sometimes, that was just who he was, but there was nervousness in his tone. So, I gave my plants one last bit of 'encouragement' and now I'm at the book shop. I got out of the car, snapped my fingers to open the doors, snapped them again to close them, and I noticed that the air itself was thick with anxiety. "Aziraphale?"

"I-In here." I walked to the back room where his voice was coming from and I saw him sitting in his usual chair, and there were already two poured glasses of wine. I could clearly read the anxiety on his face and what ever he was anxious about, it was causing a tangible affect on the air.

"What's the matter, angel?"

"Just...could you sit down, please?"

I nodded my head and did as he asked. Once I was comfortable I leaned forward with a concerned look on my face. "Aziraphale?"

"What are you?"

"Come again?" I asked with a slight scoff.

"You heard me, Crowley. What are you?"

"Angel, I'm having a hard time understanding what you're asking. I'm a demon. You know that."

"You can't be. I mean...you are...I can sense it, and you certainly have an affinity for being demonic, but then...what was that place you took us to? How did you stop time?"

"That...isn't something for you to worry about, Angel." I took a drink of my wine, and instantly spit it out as I felt something else mixed in it. "Wh-What d-did you put in it!?"

"I'm SO sorry! I-I couldn't risk you...oh...now I'm afraid I've ruined everything! Oh, please...don't be mad at me, Crowley."

"Aziraphale. I could never stay mad at you, now tell me what-" My eyes instantly went wide when I realized what he put in the drink. "You...YOU DRUGGED ME! You drugged me with TRUTH SERUM! Do you realize how dangerous that is!? Not just to me physically, but to EVERYONE emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally!"

"I-I doubt it has that much of an impact for you."

"Oh, the things you don't know." I groaned as I placed a hand to cover my disappointed eyes. "How long will it last?"

"Three days...give or take."

"Right, well, I can't go to my flat, because I don't want the demons to show up there if they decide they actually want to try and give me another bath. I'm going to have to stay here with you. Will that be alright?"

"I-I...well...sure. I mean...you've always had a spare room upstairs. You've just never used it."

"I never wanted to impose." I let out a frustrated groan. "I HATE this! Alright, I need something to distract me. Show me upstairs, would you, Angel?"

"Y-Yes, of course. I'm sorry, Crowley. If I knew that you were going to be so calm about my question...I mean...I know you didn't answer it, but...I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Aziraphale. I kind of suspected you to ask about it. Just...don't ask again. I don't want to talk about it." I followed him as he nodded his head. We walked up the stairs, and I noticed a cup from long ago, but surely it couldn't have been the same. "Angel?"

"Hmm?"

"This cup...it wouldn't happen to be the same cup we used when we were in Rome eight years after the crucifixion...would it?"

"I um...maybe?"

"You..." I snickered lightly as I stared at him, blinking in shock and amusement. "...you STOLE a cup!"

"Yes, and I also stole holy water for you." He sighed out and continued to walk up the stairs. Once we made it to the top he pointed to a room with a black door. "That's your room. Across from it is my room."

I walked towards the room and I opened it. When it swung open, my jaw dropped and tears fell from my eyes. "Dammit!" I cursed as I took off my glasses to wipe my eyes. "Not even my damn tears can lie!"

"You...you said Dammit...and damn..."

"Yeah, ignore it." I sniffled and I heard him step in the room, quickly gasping at what he saw.

For one thing, Angels and demons always had a unique sort of magic or miracle we could place on doors. If an angel used it, it would take us to our souls truest place, and it could hold INFINITE space. If a demon used it, it would take us to where we _desire_. A bit different. The room I walked into was a perfect replica of Eden. It even had the bathing pool I used for my wings, and above me were the stars I had once hung and created. There were so many and I could see the different galaxies I helped with, even though they weren't visible from Earth anyhow. No one knew who I was. Absolutely no one. Well, God would know, but no one knew who I used to be, and I had planned to keep it that way for as long as possible. "C-C-Crowley!? H-How? The door...it should take you to your soul's truest place! I thought...I thought it would take you to Hell, but...this..."

I looked around and stepped further in. It was the size of Eden as well. I could feel it. The ironic thing is, the place where the door opened...was the Eastern Gate. I didn't have a bed, but I didn't then either. I slept in the trees, looking up at the stars. "Oh...I've missed this place." I breathed out, and because of the infinite space, and since it was private, I was able to let my wings out, and I flew into the air. "HA!" I laughed out loudly as I felt the wind blow through my feathers and my short hair. I looked down at Aziraphale during my flight, and at some point he had fainted. "Shit!" I quickly flew down and landed next to him. "Aziraphale!?"

When he didn't answer me, I lifted him up and took him over to the bathing pool. I rushed to gather some herbs, because he had hit his head on a rock. "Turns out this place is a lot more real than I thought. At least that means the plants are real." I gathered what I needed to help create something that would help his headache. I didn't want to risk healing him while he was unconscious in here and send an alert of any kind to high up or down below. I didn't know how it might affect anything. Once I was finished with making the medicine, that would have a horrible taste, I dipped my hand into the bathing pool and gently cleaned the blood out of his hair. There wasn't much, but he would DEFINITELY have a headache when he woke up.

About two hours later, he finally woke up. "Crowley?" He rasped out as he sat up and clutched his head as he hissed in pain. "This place...Crowley...How is THIS your soul's truest place?"

I let out a sigh, knowing that the truth serum was still in my system. "Before I became a demon. I loved this place. I took care of the plants along with a few other angels before God created Adam and Eve."

"R-Right...truth serum. Um...so...you took care of the Garden?"

"In my time off, yeah. It was something to do. Here, sit up and let your wings out. No one will see you and you need to stretch them anyway."

He nodded his head and sat up as much as he could. He then unfurled his wings, and I had seen them when I stopped time, and though they were beautiful, they were a little unclean. Not unkempt, he obviously groomed them, but he hadn't cleaned them in a long time. "Oh, that does feel quite nice."

"You need to clean them. Come on, off with your tops." At my words I did notice that some of the feathers closer to his back _were_ actually _a bit_ unkempt, and I let out a sigh. "Aziraphale, when I stopped time, your wings looked incredible, but I'm guessing...you can't reach the insides of your wings closer to your back."

"N-No I can't...and...do I really have to take off my clothes."

"Either you do it or I do. I don't want to miracle anything in here in case Heaven or Hell catches a strange blip on their Heavenly or Hellish radar."

"Fair point." I waited as he removed his clothes to reveal his pudgy self. I couldn't help but smile at it. "Now, why are you looking at me like that!?"

"No reason. It's like I'm looking at a little brother being embarrassed about taking a bath. You're only topless."

"Little?" He scoffed, then he looked at the pool. "You know...if I'm going to clean my wings, I have to actually be in the water. You don't expect me to..."

"Yeah, now that you mention it...I kind of do. I have to clean my wings too, don't worry. I'll help."

"Oh? And you clean your wings more often than I do?"

"Anytime I can." I answered with cursed honesty. "I find it relaxing. When I'm in my flat, I groom and clean my wings in my room."

"Is your room like this?" He asked as he started undressing down to his boxers with little cartoon angel wings and halos on them.

I undressed down to my pure black boxers and shook my head. "No, it's not. I made the room myself. There's no way of communication from Hell in my room, and it has a bathing pool next to the bed." I walked into the water, and sank in. "I forgot how warm it was!" I dove down into the water and shot back up like a child, and I laughed. _'Damn the honesty! It's affecting EVERYTHING! He must've made it super potent! I can FEEL it affecting me!'_

I heard him let out a laugh as he repeated my actions, albeit, less enthusiastically. "You're like a child, Crowley. Who knew you took such enjoyment out of cleaning your wings. Now, what was that comment about me being like a little brother to you? Aren't I older?"

"No. I've got about a thousand years on you. Before Earth was created, Heaven was always Heaven. I lived there for a long time. Then, God created Earth and it was interesting. There was always light in Haven, but not so much everywhere else."

"Y-You...you watched...the Earth be created?"

"Well, yes, I did. Now, come here, let me even out your feathers." When he turned around, I noticed how tense he got. "Angel?"

"It's just...you're being...well...kind. You're acting like an...angel. Is it because of the truth serum?"

"I don't know, but at the same time I think so. It's complicated I suppose. I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable." On the inside I punched myself in the face for ACTUALLY acting like I used to and for UGH apologizing!

"It's not that...well...it is...but it's not a bad...uncomfortable. It's...more strange than anything. Six thousand years of getting to know you, and I'm just now realizing, I never really knew you as an angel."

"Not many people did. Usually, I kept to myself or I continued to do my job. Well...one of my jobs anyway. I had multiple jobs. Now, try and relax, I'm not going to yank your feathers out." He nodded his head and he visibly relaxed, dipping his wings into the water in the shallow end where we could stand. I gently evened out the longer ones, not too difficult, but then I got to the middle section and I let out a heavy sigh. I scooped up some more water and used some of the oil his wings produced and I gently groomed the middle and upper areas of his wings. He would giggle every now and then, because he was apparently ticklish, but I eventually got done. "There, good as new!"

"Thank you. Allow me to return the favor?" At his request I back away slightly and folded my wings around me. "What's wrong?"

"It's just...no one's touched my wings before."

"Then how do you groom the area closest to your back?"

"Usually I get a special type of comb or I try really hard. I'm a demon...I don't know how my wings will affect you."

"One way to find out. Come on." He moved towards me and placed his hand carefully on my wing. When nothing happened, I relaxed them, but when I looked at him, there was an inquisitive look on his face. "Crowley...your wings...their soft and cool."

"Thank you?" I tilted my head, and then I blinked wildly. "Wait...did I just say...thank you?"

"Yes, I believe you did. The serum I gave you...it's more than a truth serum. It's a soul serum. It makes you more honest with who you are at your soul. So, like I said...deep down...you're a good person, but it's just...surprising...about your wings I mean."

"Uh huh..." He moved behind me and started repeating the same actions I did to him, but when he reached over a wound, I hissed in pain. "Th-That...hurts..."

I felt him carefully move the feathers out of the way and then I heard him gasp. "Crowley! What happened?"

"Ah, well...during the battle...the first one...where angels became demons, I got up by Lucifer. We used to be friends, but when I heard what he was planning, I didn't want to be a part of any of it. So, as a consolation, before the FULL battle broke out, he cut my wing. He said that it would be as if I fought and that no one would believe I wasn't on his side, because we were such good friends at the time. He said the only way it would be healed is by an Archangels power...and well...obviously I never got around to that."

"Why can it only be an Archangel that heals it?"

"Because it was an Archangel that caused the injury." I replied flatly, hoping he wouldn't prod any further.

"So...why did you fall anyway if you didn't want to fight?"

"Because he was right. We were as close as brothers once. No one would've ever believed me if I said that I didn't want to go along with his plan. A staircase appeared where I was hiding, and I went down it. It took me a few centuries, but I realized that it was put there by God...for me. Why? I have no clue, but it was, and I took it. Suddenly, I was going at the speed of light...downward, but I was still walking...it's hard to explain."

Thankfully, he left it at that and started finishing my wings. "There, your wings look fine now."

"Oh! Good." I sighed out and the demon in me growled at the use of the word. I got out of the water, and Aziraphale followed. We put on our clothes after we dripped dried some and I found my favorite tree. "Come up here, Aziraphale!" I told him as I flew up to the top, where thankfully, my old nest was.

"Crowley...is this where you would sleep?"

"When I was in the Garden at night, yeah. Not even Lucifer dared to bother me here. I made the nest myself. It's made of silk, feathers, and rose petals. Come, look at the stars with me. I missed looking at them. Although, I don't remember galaxies being visible before, but it's still beautiful."

"So...the way you're talking now...is this how you were as an angel?"

"Pretty much." I answered, allowing the serum to take it's course. I give up. If it's Aziraphale it should be okay. I just hope he doesn't prod further into what I used to do.

"What was Lucifer like before he fell?"

"Oh, he wasn't what you would think. He wasn't mean, malice ridden, or anything negative really. He was always so optimistic. He was a bit childish...like me. I guess it's why we got along so well. He was kind, patient, and curious. However, the curious bit...is what started all of the trouble, and I wanted no part in hurting the rest of our family. Then...he betrayed me by cutting me. He knew what was going to happen to me...so there was no way I would've been able to have it healed in time. I think...if I was closest to anyone other than him...it was Gabriel."

"GABRIEL!?" He shouted as he sat next to me, easing himself to lay on his back like I was. "You knew TWO Archangels?"

"I knew them all." Damn the honesty! I just want to fly away! Aziraphale's only going to grow more curious.

"Okay...wow...that's...surprising. I've heard of some angels knowing the Archangels, but I never thought that you would've been one of them."

_'At least he doesn't suspect anything.'_ I let out a soft chuckle. "Yup. Knew them all. Well, not that new one. The short one with the weird teeth."

"Yeah...he's a bit strange."

"A bit!?"

"You're right." He laughed out. "A lot a bit. So...were they like before the fall?"

"Well, Michael was pretty much the same. She was sweet, cunning, ruthless, direct, and very calculative. She never changed, but she DID apparently have connections with my old lot downstairs. I never thought she would do that. Now...Gabriel...he LOVED to play music! We couldn't dance, you know that, but he loved to play it. He still loved exorcising, and he was the WORST about keeping his wings completely cleaned. It was infuriating. Anyway, he was also actually kind. He was stubborn as I'll get out. If he set his mind to something, it was going to be done. He probably mourned the loss of the angels the most if I think about it. He loved many of them and helped a lot of them become better with their powers and flying...and then they betrayed everyone."

"So...the reason why he's so horrible now..."

"...Is more than likely because of the other demons. Also, six thousand years...he just became naturally bitter. However, when I was disguised as you, and I saw him...that wasn't the Gabriel I knew at all. I saw a bit of him when he was talking to Adam and then to Beelzebub...civil...stubborn...methodical...but when 'you' were being sentence to hellfire...that wasn't the Gabriel I knew."

"Huh...what about Uriel?"

"She...had a soft spot for animals, and she was rather good with a flaming sword. She loved to fight, spar, and anything to do with using her sword really. However, she was usually quiet unless something confused or angered her, but even when she was angry, her voice was quiet and calm if a bit agitated."

"Yeah, I can see that. So...what about Raphael? They say he went missing. They don't know if he was killed or if he fell. What was he like?"

"He..." I let out a heavy sigh as I looked up at the stars with my hands behind my head. "...despite what many people and angels think...Raphael was actually the oldest by twenty years. He was sort of...the father of the group...or at least...that's what the other Archangels called him. God apparently found that nickname amusing, because she allowed the other Archangels to tease him with it. Not badly, but in a friendly sort of way. He looked after them and made sure they were happy. He found stuff for them to do when they were new and helped them to become good angels until they could develop their own personalities, which took about a solid month to my understanding. He would heal angels that got wounded in sparring matches, he would assist all of the different types of angels. Even the Principalities. He was kind, stubborn, patient, determined, brave, loving, funny, and he had the biggest sense of...and this is describing an angel, but apparently it was an okay enough term, because God hadn't struck him down yet...but he had the biggest sense of Wander Lust."

"The way you talk about him...you seem to have been closer to him than Gabriel or Lucifer."

"Well...in a way I guess I was. However, I also guess I don't like talking about Gabriel and Lucifer so much, because they've changed so much."

"Do YOU know what happened to Raphael?"

_'DAMMIT!'_ I thought and quickly thought of a half truth. "He didn't fall. I know that much." I breathed out my nose as a shooting star flew past. "However, when everyone made it to hell...they looked...different. Demons were unrecognizable to angels. I guess it was God's doing to keep from further heartache and fighting."

"Huh...so it was really that different back then, huh?"

"Yup! So, you like my little nest area?"

"Yes, it's actually quite comfortable. Where did the feathers come from?"

"They came from my wings. The feathers that I would shed...I collected them for this reason. Some of the ones that came off from sparring matches...well, I kept those too. I grabbed some silk from the fabric area where they would make new robes for new angels depending on their rank, and I asked if I could have some. They gave them to me, and I stuffed the inside with grass and feathers...and then sewed it up. I then neatly and carefully placed it in my favorite tree." I let out a yawn and I heard Aziraphale chuckle next to me.

"Well, I'll leave you to rest, and Crowley...I really AM deeply sorry for the truth serum. That place...it scared me. I didn't think you were capable of it and well...I won't ask you about it anymore, but I hope you'll tell me."

"Perhaps eventually, Angel. Good night. I forgive you." As soon as the words left my mouth the demon side of me groaned in agitation, but the other side of me was calm and peaceful about saying it. This truth serum stuff...though I do forgive him for it...may make matters worse for us if we have to encounter our ex-coworkers again.


	2. Chapter 2

When I woke up the night sky was still above me, but I didn't care. I could tell it was morning. Millennia of waking up around the same time every morning will do that to you. When I landed and made my way out of my door, I carefully closed it, not knowing if Aziraphale was up yet, and I made my way to the small kitchenette that he had up here. "Huh...well, I might as well make some breakfast." I quickly sunk my wings back in as I went about the kitchen making omelettes. I also started some coffee. Sometime during the night, I had stepped out of my room, miracled my clothes to change into my normal night clothes. A pair of black pajama pants, and I went back into my room and fell asleep in my nest.

"Crowley?" I heard Aziraphale call out from the hallway.

"Huh, that's strange. I thought you said you don't sleep? I thought I was the only one."

"Yes...well..." He let out a heavy yawn as he stepped into the room. "...I started trying the sleeping thing since we averted the apocalypse. What are you doing?"

"I was just..." I turned to face him and my jaw dropped immediately. "You look normal!"

"What?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Normal! You look normal, Aziraphale! You're not wearing something out of date! You're wearing a plain white T-shirt with sky blue pajama pants! Normal!"

He blinked at me for a few seconds and then looked at his clothes. "These...are more comfortable. Besides, I only wear my stylish clothes outside the house and while working downstairs. This is what I wear on my days off."

"So...this whole time...you knew how to wear normal clothes?"

"Of course I know HOW!" He let out a tired laugh. "I just choose not to. Now, what ARE you doing?"

"I'm making breakfast."

"You mean you know HOW to eat?" He smirked at me and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"You know I do."

"Fair, but I didn't know that you knew how to cook."

"I like cooking. It's interesting what the humans come up with for recipes and such. I'm making Omelettes."

"Oh! You know...in all the time I've been trying food...I don't think I've had an Omelette."

"Really?" I asked him as I leaned back slightly. "YOU'VE never tried an Omelette?"

"No, I don't think I have."

"Well then..." I smirked as I continued to mix the eggs together. "...let me pay you back for the oysters. Let me tempt you to an Omelette. It is my job after all. I'm also making coffee."

"How kind of you."

I flinched a little and let out a sigh. "Aziraphale...you know...I'm still a demon. Demon's aren't supposed to be kind."

"Yes, I'm well aware. I don't think I could say sorry enough. Six thousand years of friendship, and I feel like I've ruined everything."

"I told you I forgave you." I rose an eyebrow at him. "And in case you haven't noticed...that's not something I do often...or at all really." I turned back to the stove and continued making the Omelettes, adding some chopped up bacon I found in the fridge.

"You can say that all you like, Crowley. The fact of the matter is...in our entire friendship...you never betrayed me, and I feel like I betrayed you by drugging your drink. I just...I didn't want to risk you lying to me about something that..."

"Something that scared you?" When he nodded I shook my head. "It wasn't my intention to scare you, Angel. I just needed to...we needed to talk to Adam, and that was the only place I could think of."

"Yes, but it forced my wings out. It wasn't painful or anything, it was actually nice to have them out, but because it forced my wings out...I'm under the impression that where you took us...was a holy kind of place."

"Please don't ask me about it. I'll tell you, but not right now. I hadn't been in that place in a very long time and I hadn't planned on going back." I looked at him and the guilt on his face increased, but I knew there was nothing I could do about it. Not unless I explain it all to him. He nodded his head and I turned to finish the Omelettes while he set the table.

Once I finished making the Omelettes that had cheese and bacon in them, I gave Aziraphale his plate and then I set mine down. After that, I got us both coffee, knowing how he took his and I sat down across from him. "So, do you know how to cook other things?"

"I've learned out to cook and bake everything." At my words his eyes shot wide open and his jaw dropped nearly completely. "And if you're wondering why I never told you, it's because it's not a very demon-y thing to do. That, and you'd likely ask me to cook for you all the time. Now, just because I know how to cook, it doesn't mean I'm any good at it." I took a bite of my Omelette and watched him do the same. Once he took the first bite, his eyes got wider if possible.

"Crowley! These are amazing! They're so fluffy and delicious and cheesy!"

I couldn't help the snort of laughter that left me or the smile that appeared on my face. I briefly tilted my head before I took a drink of my coffee. "I'm sure other places do better than I do."

"No, I don't think so. Wow...wait...so...you know how to make crepes!?"

I let out a slight groan. "I just KNEW you were going to ask me that!" I continued to take a couple of bites of my Omelette before answering, "Yes, I know how to make Crepes. I learned after our lunch in Paris when you got yourself put into the Bastille."

"Oh..." He rubbed the back of his neck with a guilty smile and a nervous laugh.

"Yeah...oh." I chuckled lightly. "Come on, your breakfast will get cold if you don't finish." Once we both finished our breakfast we miracled our clothes on us, and I rolled my eyes at his normal choice of outfit. I was wearing a plain black shirt, black pants, black snakeskin boots, and a red tie. However, when we made it downstairs we were met with an unwelcome sight. I immediately got in front of Aziraphale and held my hand out in a protective manner. "What do you want, Michael?"

"There's been a problem." She breathed out as she looked anxious for some reason.

"Oh? And you've come to take Aziraphale away again have you? You decide a worse punishment than bloody hellfire!?"

She quickly shook her head. "No! We um...Gabriel and the others told me what happened with the hellfire and after what happened with the holy water and you...no, we're not trying to kill or destroy you. I've actually come to talk to you, Crowley."

I stood up straight with a risen brow, trying to keep up the appearance of a demon despite the serum I was given yesterday. "Me? What would heaven want with me?"

"One of the demons...Beelzebub...that particular demon had decided to kidnap Gabriel. She sent three other demons after him and they threatened him with hellfire. He's currently in Hell, and we can't do anything, BECAUSE of the hellfire. I don't know what they're doing to him, but he's been gone for three days. We need you to go get him."

"You...need me to..." I walked closer to her as I started laughing. "Oh! They do say God has a sense of humor! Tell me, Michael...do you know what Gabriel said to Aziraphale?"

"No, all I know is that the hellfire didn't work and it rattled them a bit."

"Rattled's a good word. Now, when Aziraphale tried to get them to reconsider, of course they said no, but Gabriel told Aziraphale to shut his stupid mouth and die already. Now, why would I want to help Gabriel after that? I'm also a demon, remember? Why would I want to help ANY of you!? I was under the impression that Aziraphale and I were to be left alone!"

"So...the two of you are..."

I let out a sigh and I cursed the serum as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "We're friends. Now out with it, Michael. I'm patient, but not THAT patient."

"Wh-What?"

_'SHIT!'_ I shouted in my mind. That was something I would tell them if they were testing my patience. "Last I checked, angels weren't deaf and neither were you mere seconds ago. Why would I help Gabriel?"

"What you said..." She looked at me with wide eyes and a shocked expression with something like a flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Michael! You want Gabriel rescued? Why would I do it!?"

"R-Right! Well, they could be torturing him...trying to turn him into a demon. They may try to turn him into a demon to have him attack you, and if they have a um...a...if they have an Archangel on their side, it will make them that more powerful and dangerous."

"I would rather not fight a demonic Gabriel, and there's no telling what he would do to Aziraphale since he dislikes him so much. Fine, but after this..."

"We'll leave you be...unless an Archangel finds themselves in a similar situation. Think of it as a mutual benefit if you must. You're right, you DON'T want to face a demonic Gabriel, and neither would the rest of the world."

"I'll take care of it." I sighed out in agitation. "You can leave now." She quickly nodded her head and left.

"Okay...what was that about? Why did she seem so...taken back by what you said?"

I leaned against the stair case and shook my head. "Because I let something slip. Remember how I told you I knew them?" He nodded his head with a concerned expression. "Well, that was a phrase I sometimes used. 'I'm patient, but not THAT patient.' I used it to joke with them. I mostly used it with Lucifer though."

"So...she recognized you?"

"Probably came close." I let out an irritated groan. "I can't believe I'm going to rescue Gabriel after what he said to you!"

"But...she's right. If he does get turned into a demon, it won't be just you in danger...but the whole world. Lucifer was an Archangel...now look at him."

"Right...you're right, and unfortunately she is too. We need a plan though. After me getting a holy water bath and you surviving hellfire, we at least won't have those things to face, but they will try and claw, cut, and maim us in every way possible. Since they managed to capture an Archangel, they're likely going to fight with everything they've got to keep him until they manage to get him to fall. Not that they will. Gabriel's more stubborn than that."

"So...what do we do?"

"We'll need to go through Heaven's back door into Hell. If they put him where I think they put him, that'll be the closest place. From there...well...I actually don't know. I suppose we'll just have to make it up as we go."

"What happened to having a plan!?" He asked as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Demons are unpredictable. This is our only option. Let's just hope they're too scared of us to do anything. Aziraphale...can you get us into heaven?"

He nodded his head nervously and he took my hand. The next thing I know we're in heaven and surrounded by other angels pointing their flaming swords at us. "Everyone! Move aside!" I heard Michael's voice command, and they did as she asked, sheathing their swords. "Why have you come here? You're meant to be saving Gabriel!"

"I know. We need to use the backdoor." She nodded her head and we followed her quite a ways until we eventually made it to a tainted looking elevator. "This is the backdoor. It's different than the one I used for when you bathed in holy water."

"I know...this will lead to the back of Hell. The deepest and worst part of Hell."

"Do you...do you really think he's in there?"

"They captured an Archangel. They're going to want to keep him until he falls. I'm almost certain they have no idea there's a backdoor there though."

"Why's that?" She asked with a tilt of her head and an intrigued look in her eyes.

"Because I hid it away from them."

"Y-You what!? How!?"

"Demonic power." I shrugged and it was true. However, because of who I was, my demonic power was far more advanced.

"Why?"

"Didn't feel like letting them coming up here to your lot. At the time, so much had already been lost, and when they took me to...play...I saw the door, and it was barely noticeable as it was. So...I just made it invisible."

"And...why are you being...honest?"

"You can thank Aziraphale for that one. He gave me a truth serum. Don't fault him for it though, and I swear...if you use him for information to use it on anyone else, I will personally put Gabriel back in Hell after I rescue him."

"U-Understood."

I looked at Aziraphale and his eyes were wide with shock. "Oh, and give him a sword. Coat it in holy water rather than fire." I watched as she miracled a sword and it had a floating and constant stream of holy water circling around it. "Perfect. Here you go Aziraphale. Don't go giving it away."

"Now, was that really called for!?" He scoffed as he took the sword and examined it.

"It absolutely was! Who gives away a flaming sword!?" I pressed the button on the elevator and I heard a horrible creaking sound. "Well, that's telling." I muttered under my breath. "Michael, when we get back, we'll have Gabriel."

"You're sure?"

I chuckled lightly as I nodded my head while placing my hands in my pockets. "He's too stubborn to fall. Always has been." Just this once I was going to let the honesty bring me a smile, because she staggered back slightly, and thankfully no one seemed to notice, not even the angels that had started to leave. Once the elevator made a horrible scream rather than a dinging noise, I took in a deep breath of air. "Right...not foreboding in the slightest. Let's go, Angel."

Once we made it down, and the door opened up, I could hear screaming, and to my surprise, there were no demons in the area. "There's no one here." Aziraphale whispered.

"I've noticed." I whispered back. "Stay close Aziraphale. It just means that they're using the most powerful demons as guards. There are only two. Beelzebub an Dagon. We walked down the flickering and eerie corridor until we saw the two I had mentioned.

"Crowley!" Beelzebub grinned. "Come to rescue the soon to be fallen angel?" I heard Gabriel's screams, and at the sound, I felt fury rise in my throat. "We knew that Michael would have no choice but to get you, but to think...you brought an angel here as well! We'll get two for the price of one!"

"Yeah...I don't think so." I heard Aziraphale speak, and the harshness in his tone had me staring at him in disbelief. I knew he could fight, I mean...he became one of Arthur's knights for crying out loud, but to hear his voice turn into that as he stood in front of me. "This is a new special sword. Do you know what this is swirling around it?"

"Not really." She shrugged honestly.

"It's holy water. You're going to open that cell door, or you're not going to BE any longer."

"HA! You expect us to believe that!? You're bluffing! Everyone knows you're a coward and you've always had to have Crowley fight for you!"

"Up until two weeks ago, you didn't know that the angel and I knew each other, so you may want to recant your statement. He's not lying. Michael made that sword special for him to fight you and anyone else who gets in our way. Oh, but test it if you like."

Dagon foolishly charged forward with her blade and Aziraphale blocked her beautifully. I watched in proud astonishment as Aziraphale kept up with her and blocked her. Then, as she pulled back, he lunged the blade forward, destroying her from the wound and outward until there was nothing left but her clothes. "Would you like to have a go then?"

Beelzebub growled low with a menacing look in her eyes as she opened the cell doors and ordered the FIVE demons that were in there to come out and go elsewhere without questioning. I placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered quickly. "Don't let your guard down." We then walked forward to the cell and what we saw inside nearly made me sick. There was ONE more demon in there and it was Hastur. He was pulling on Gabriel's right wing. What were once shining gold, were now a blood stand copper. Gabriel was completely naked with bruises, burns, gashes, cuts, and claw marks. His wings were bloody and crumpled. "Aziraphale. Deal with Hastur!" I growled out, and watched as he did just that, killing Hastur before he could move. I turned to glare at Beelzebub. "If you know what's...bad for you...you won't interfere with us leaving. You won't command anyone to sneak up behind us, and you won't attack another Archangel!" Aziraphale lunged forward towards her and she ran.

"Wh-What...are...you...doing...here...Demon!?" Gabriel breathed out.

"Saving your ungrateful ass! Michael sent us. I'm not happy about rescuing you after what you told Aziraphale, but we knew each other once, and I REALLY didn't want a demonic Gabriel set loose on me like a hell hound. There's a backdoor, we'll take you up to Heaven, and get you healed." I snapped my fingers and the restraints vanished. "Aziraphale, I'll get him up, you cover us."

"Got it!"

"I can...move...on...my own...you...wretch!"

"Oh? Then go ahead! If you can move, then move!" I snapped and crossed my arms. I watched as he tried three times to get up and I shook my head. "Honestly...why must you always be stubborn." I muttered under my breath as I lifted his arm up to drape over my shoulder.

"What...was...that?" He breathed out in between gasps of pain.

"You're stubborn." As soon as I replied, there were ten demons on either side of us. "Great." I watched as Aziraphale started to fight them, nearly effortlessly. Nearly. He was starting to get swarmed, and although I didn't want to, I knew it was going to be the only way they would stop and let us leave. I set Gabriel down against a wall and I took the sword that I had felt Michael miracle for me at my waist. I drew it and let my wings out. "ENOUGH!" I shouted and my voice echoed through the entire corridor, causing everyone to stop. I looked over at Gabriel briefly and if his eyes got any wider they would've fallen out of his head. He also held a hand to his chest with a dropped jaw. _'Well, this is going to be a much longer day than I thought.'_

"Wings! He has wings!" One of them shouted and it was followed by many more mutterings about me having wings. Beelzebub soon came forward and scowled at me.

"No WONDER holy water didn't work on you!" She growled out, low and threatening.

"Hold up...none of you have wings? When Lucifer came out from the ground...even he had wings!"

"He was the ONLY one! Or so we thought! You've been a spy for SIX THOUSAND YEARS!"

"Not a spy! I sauntered vaguely downwards! I did come to hell and I did become a demon."

"But just HOW MUCH of a demon are you!?" She shouted with pure fury in her eyes, and at that question, I was forced to answer.

"Half." I growled out against my will.

"Who is your other half!? Which angel were you!?"

"Archangel Raphael!" The truth hurt. No, it was worse than that, because when Aziraphale looked at me with widened eyes and an expression I couldn't read...the truth burned as if I was actually taking a bath in holy water. However, the good part about my answer was that all of the demons except Beelzebub fled instantly. "What!?" I spat out as I moved to get Gabriel once again, and this time he didn't fight me. Instead, he stared at me in disbelief and what looked like hope.

"You've been an Archangel this whole time!?" She shouted in astonishment and fury.

"HALF! The other half just shifted some of my personality a bit. Other than that, yes."

"Your wings...they're black. You're really the Archangel Raphael." She crossed her arms with a controlled expression.

"Wait...what does the color of his wings have to do with anything?" Aziraphale asked as he pointed his sword at her.

"Aziraphale..." I started carefully.

"Y-Yes?" He stuttered out as he looked at me.

I was afraid of this. I didn't want it to change anything! I let out a sigh and gave a weak smile. "Archangels are the only ones with colored wings. Gabriel's are supposed to be gold, mine are black, Lucifer's were crimson red, Michael's are sapphire blue, and Uriel's are emerald green." Not wanting to hear whatever he had to say, I turned back to Beelzebub. "We're leaving now. Unless you would like for either Aziraphale or myself to rid Hell of one more demon."

"Hell doesn't want you anymore. You've _clearly_ chosen your side. Leave and don't ever come back!"

I nodded my head and walked Gabriel to the backdoor with Aziraphale guarding us from the back. _'Now what am I going to do?'_ I thought sadly. _'Six thousand years of friendship...and now he knows...and for once, I can't tell what he's thinking or feeling.'_


	3. Chapter 3

Before we had made it all the way up, I had retracted my wings, still holding onto Gabriel as best I could. Aziraphale wouldn't look at me, and I think that hurt more than when he said our friendship was over or when I thought he was dead. The elevator opened and Michael was there waiting for us. "Y-You did it!"

"H-He...did...more...than that..." Gabriel chuckled out in between gasps of pain.

"I want to hear all about it!" Michael grinned. "Come, let's take him to his room."

"I will only go if Aziraphale comes to."

Michael turned to face me with a look of astonishment. "Why?"

"He's my friend. He's been there for me for six thousand years. I was never a really good friend to him, but he was always there. He knows me better than anyone else in the universe. I'm a demon in Heaven, and right now, I feel safer with him." When Aziraphale turned to face me again with a look of awe and shock, I noticed tears started to fall down his face just before he faced Michael again. "You want me to take another step...Aziraphale comes to."

"But..." She started, but was surprisingly interrupted by Gabriel.

"Let him!" He breathed out. "Let...Aziraphale...come."

At that, both Aziraphale and I shared a dumbfounded expression with one another. "Lead the way, Michael." I told her, but before I could move, I felt Gabriel's hand on my chest. "Gabriel?"

"Hell...doesn't want...you."

"Yeah, thanks, I kind of heard that for myself." I rolled my eyes in agitation.

"Show...Michael...what you...showed...the others. Hell...doesn't...want you...but...Heaven...will...welcome you."

Uriel came forward with a confused expression. "He's been down there too long. His mind isn't where it should be. He must've fallen."

"He HASN'T fallen!" I growled out, causing Uriel to look at me with wide eyes as she took a step back. I looked at Aziraphale and he nodded his head, telling me to do as Gabriel asked. I nodded my head in defeat and I released my wings. Once they settled behind me, I looked up at Uriel and Michael, and they both covered their mouths in shock. "Look, we can discuss this later, but I need to heal him."

"Y-Yes...O-Of course!" Uriel nodded and both her and Michael led us to Gabriel's room which was quite a ways from the back door, but once we got there, it was the same as I remembered it. The walls were aquariums filled with many different types of ocean life that didn't need to be fed, his floor was turquoise, and his ceiling gave off a purple light similar to his eye color. His bed was at least two king size beds put together and morphed to become one. It had pure golden blankets, sheets, and pillows that seemed to shimmer.

Once I set him down on his bed, I looked to the door, and Aziraphale was standing there in shock, clutching his sword to his chest. "Come in, Aziraphale." I told him and he did. Uriel left, and I assume she did so to go get the other Archangel. "Aziraphale, what's wrong?" I asked him as I hovered my hand over Gabriel's to heal it. "Gabriel, you know this is going to sting, but it has to be done." Gabriel scoffed out a laugh and nodded his head.

"You...you're Raphael." Aziraphale stuttered out in nearly a whisper.

"I was." I stated. "I'm not him anymore."

"Well...you can't...be...Crowley either." Gabriel breathed out in between wincing at the pain I was healing on his broken hand. "Hell...doesn't...want you. If...you're half...maybe...we can..."

"No. Don't finish that. I don't deserve it."

"Don't deserve what?" Aziraphale questioned, seemingly relaxing, but only slightly due to his curiosity.

I pursed my lips in contemplation at telling him, but then my body remembered it was under truth serum so I answered, "It's a test of sorts. It was created after Lucifer fell. I only know about it, because it became a century long joke in Hell. It's a test to bring a fallen back to being an angel. Not that I want it. I quite enjoy being a demon. Tempting is interesting, the food and wine is to die for, the music is exceptional, and..."

"Crowley..." Gabriel laughed out. "...the only...thing...you...listed...that was...demonic...was...tempting. Angels...can do...that to...to a a point."

"Yes, I figured that one out." I smirked as I glanced up at Aziraphale who returned my smirk with a soft smile. "I still don't deserve it, Gabriel. I CHOSE to leave."

"But that was because of what Lucifer did to your wing!" Aziraphale piped up with a pleading tone, catching my attention.

_'Shit...no...don't tell them!'_ I inwardly pleaded, but as soon as I looked up at Michael, who suddenly seemed incredibly alarmed I lowered my head. "What do you want to ask, Michael?"

"What did he do to you?"

"It was before the fall and during the battle. He cut my wing before rejoining everyone and he knew that I would need an Archangel to heal it. He also knew that no one would've believed me if I said that HE was the one to hurt me, and that I DIDN'T want to fight. He knew that no one would believe that I went against him. He knew that I would be cast out anyway just for knowing him. So...I saw a staircase...and I took it. Thinking about it...God had to have put it there, because everyone else got pushed into the ground...but I took it, and hid my wings ever since. Except around Aziraphale. I showed them to him when we met after Adam and Eve left, and we were standing on the Eastern wall of Eden together. The next time he saw them again was during Armageddon. I stopped time to talk to Adam. Then, he saw them at his home. After that...well...you know the rest. Other than that...I didn't show my wings to anyone but Aziraphale. God gave me a new name so I wouldn't be recognized and when I got to Hell...a new form. The only thing that didn't change was my wings."

"So...why...are...you...being honest?" Gabriel asked as I moved up his arm to heal the bruises and scratches.

Aziraphale cleared his throat and stepped forward slightly. "I gave him a truth serum to get him to explain how he stopped time, but well...I got my answer. The serum I used made someone more honest with their soul, and since well...since he's HALF Archangel...that half won and now he's his old self I assume."

"That's...correct. We use...that...serum...on...angels...under suspicion of...falling. I'll let it...go...just this...once. Now, back...to...what...Lucifer did...to you..."

Michael stepped forward wringing her hands. "We would've believed you, Raphael. You weren't only the oldest, but you were the kindest."

"Kind..." I heard Aziraphale breathe out. "...Crowley..." I looked up at him with a bright smile.

"Thank you, Aziraphale."

"F-For what?"

"For saying my name." I sighed happily. "What is it, Angel?" I noticed he clutched the sword tighter and his bottom lip trembled. "Aziraphale?"

"I-I...all those years ago...when we met...you remembered who you were?"

"I've always known who I was. The only thing that shifted was my personality and looks. I always knew and always remembered who I was."

"So...when you...when you found out I gave away the sword..."

"I was pissed and in a state of disbelief. A flaming sword, Aziraphale! Really!? Although...I guess it all turned out well."

"A-And at the ark..."

"I couldn't help but tease you for it, but when I found out God was going to wash away kids...my heart broke, but my demon side...thankfully...didn't allow me to show it. Look, there's a real simple remedy I can preform for you to know everything I was thinking and for you to remember much more clearly on the events, but it'll have to be after I heal Gabriel. In fact..." I looked over at Gabriel, who for once in his life, had been quiet for more than five minutes. "...Gabriel, tell me the truth, and you know I'll know if you lie...Do you promise not to hurt, hunt, or trick Aziraphale?"

"You've...become...his Guardian...angel. I can't...touch...him. If...the two of you...have really...been together...this...whole time...and you've looked...after him. I...can't touch...him, but...that is...only the...case...if...you...come back...to Heaven. We...won't...hold you...over any...rules...but...you...could be here...freely, and...be...the Archangel...you were...meant to...be...and you could still...be on Earth."

I looked at Aziraphale who gave me a sad smile and he shook his head. "Crowley, you don't have to do that. You've already done so much."

"My answer is...as long as I get to stay on Earth...yes."

"WHAT!?" Everyone in the room shouted.

"I'll do the tests. Hell doesn't want me and at least this way, Aziraphale doesn't freak out about being friends with me."

"I was never worried about it, Crowley. It was you getting hurt that I worried about."

I chuckled lightly at his words as I moved to Gabriel's chest that had deep gashes. "Yes, well...the tests will hurt I imagine."

"WHAT!? Why!?"

Michael let out a guilty sigh as she began to explain, "It's because they're meant to test a fallen's worthiness and holiness as well as possibility for redemption. One of the trials will actually be to go through his memories. Not just the ones with you, but his in general. It'll be his memories since he fell."

"That...might take a LONG time." I sighed out. "Will it really be overseen by all of the Archangels?"

"Yes." Gabriel answered once he was able to breath better.

"But I don't even know that other one."

"He's...a bit snarky, but he has a good heart." Gabriel stated.

"Well, if it'll get the tests over with...Is it the first or last test?"

Gabriel winced as I healed the gash on his stomach. "The first since it's the longest. It'll show us what type of being you were since you fell."

"I know it stings, but I need you to sit up straight."

"I think I liked you better as a demon." He glared at me as he did as I asked.

"Can't blame you." I laughed out. "I'm one helluva likable guy as a demon." I watched in mild amusement as he rolled his eyes. Once I was done, I healed his thighs which had deep cuts, but because I was getting the hang of healing to this extent again, they healed faster than the rest. I then miracled a pair of boxers on him before continuing on the rest of his legs which had scrapes and bruises.

"W-Will I...be able to view his memories as well?" Aziraphale asked with a hint of nervousness in his tone.

"I don't see why not." Michael answered. "There's not actually a limit. There just has to be four Archangels present."

"Makes sense, I suppose." I nodded my head. "So! Aziraphale! You're going to see what I did in my spare time without you."

"Oh, am I going to regret this?"

I gave him a shrug with a slightly menacing and amused smirk. "That depends on you, Angel." I finished healing Gabriel, his wings were the most difficult, but after about two hours, he was finally all healed.

"Raphael?" I turned to look at Gabriel as I was beginning to follow Michael out after Gabriel got dressed in his suit once more. "Hell doesn't want you. You can heal your wing now."

"I uh...can't actually reach that far..." I looked at Aziraphale and smiled at him. I took my wing out and got on my knees. "Aziraphale, can you heal the cut?"

"I-I...m-me!?"

"You're my best friend, of course you!" I turned my head to look at him and he nodded his head. He then placed his hand on the cut, causing me to wince slightly when I felt his healing warmth. Soon, it closed, and the muscles in my wing had never felt more relaxed. "Thank you." I told him as I stood up. "Oh...we uh...might have a problem."

"What's that?'

"When we were sentenced to our deaths?"

"Oh!" He drawled out as the same realization dawned on him.

"What do the two of you mean?"

"Well..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "...you made a promise to never harm or go after Aziraphale again, right?"

"I swear to you, Raphael, I won't hurt either you or Aziraphale. I will be as good a brother as I can be."

"Good...and you Michael?"

"Without question, Raphael." She nodded her head.

"Good. Alright, Aziraphale. Let's show them what we did."

"A-Are you sure, Crowley?" He asked me as his eyes shifted back and froth from Michael and Gabriel.

"They're going to see it anyway." I stated flatly with a slight shrug.

He nodded his head and I held my hand out to him. Once he took it, we changed appearances. We then turned to face Michael and Gabriel, who's jaws dropped. They stared at us, and it was Gabriel to break first. He let out an amused laugh.

"So...that's how...the two of you are not just brothers as angels...your _soulmate_ brothers. That must be it. Although, I could never think that something like THAT was possible."

"Come again?" We both questioned before we switched back.

"Do you really not remember, Raphael? It was something God created...well of course it was...she created everything, but...it was...oh...it was after the fall. So...you don't know. Well, she created a thing called soulmates for both humans and angels. For the Angels it was to make sure that we had at least one person that would have our backs no matter what. Mine is Sandalphon...the new Archangel, and well...since you're HALF an angel...Aziraphale became your soulmate brother. That's the only way the two of you would've been able to switch. Your souls would've had to be compatible. That makes so much sense, and well done. You pulled off Aziraphale well. I just never thought 'switching' was even a possibility!"

I looked at Michael with high amusement as I clasped my hands behind my back, tucking my wings back into my body. "Well, from what I hear...you gave me a towel."

"I can't believe Aziraphale of all people is just as mischievous as you." She gave a fond smile. "He did well. You still have our word. We won't harm you, but when Uriel and Sandalphon see the memory...you may need to stand behind us."

"So, you're not mad that I..." Aziraphale stood closer to me behind my back, seemingly hiding from Michael.

"That you got me to get you a towel? No, it's something he would've done as an angel. He was a prankster. I wouldn't have expected any less from him, and looking back on it with everything I know...it's quite amusing."

"Truly?" He asked from behind me.

"I told you she was sweet." I grinned at him as he came out from behind me bit by bit.

"You talked to him about us?"

"Just last night, yes. The truth serum made me do it. He asked...so I had to tell the truth."

"Well, this is going to be interesting." Gabriel breathed out, urging us to follow Michael.

Once we left the room, Uriel and Sandalphon came our way. Once the new Archangel set eyes on me, he instantly went into attack mode, and I dodged easily enough. "Get BACK HERE, DEMON! What are you even DOING here!" He kept attacking and I kept gracefully dodging.

"I'm here, because I was asked to be here." I told him as I dodged his now unsheathed sword.

"Sh-Shouldn't you do something?" Aziraphale asked Gabriel. "I do hope he doesn't get hurt."

"At this point, you should worry about Sandalphon."

The Archangel in question apparently hadn't heard what they were saying, because he kept trying to dodge my attacks. "HOW! ARE! YOU! ABLE! TO! DODGE! MY! ATTACKS!?" With every shouted word, I dodged a close cut to my neck and chest. "I WAS TAUGHT BY GABRIEL! YOU INSIGNIFICANT-" At that I grabbed his arm, twisted it around his back, knocked his knees with my foot, and made him fall to his knees onto the floor while I stood behind him.

"So..." I looked up at Uriel, panting slightly. "...I take it you didn't tell him who I am."

"Who you ARE is a disgusting and VILE DEMON!"

"Sandalphon!" Gabriel growled out.

"What!? You've corrupted him!? We've heard that Gabriel had been kidnapped by demons! How low of you!"

"Sandalphon! You may want to take back your words! This...demon...is to be going through the trials of redemption soon."

"HIM!? How could HE deserve redemption!?" I let go of his arms and moved to stand by Aziraphale.

"He's Raphael." Uriel and Michael stated in unison.

"HIM!? You HAVE to be joking!" He patted down his suit and glared at me.

I let out my wings, and watched with pure delight as his eyes grew comically wide and he fell on his ass with a dropped jaw. "Gabriel may have taught you how to fight, but I taught him. They're not lying. I am HALF demon and HALF Archangel. I am both Crowley and Raphael."

"Y-Y-You...h-he...I-I...h-how!?"

"I sauntered vaguely downwards." I grinned. "I chose to go. I was never a fallen angel. I was never casted out. God gave me a staircase and I took it. I also RESCUED Gabriel with Aziraphale's help. So...I'm going to go through the redemption tests. Hell doesn't want me anymore."

"You're serious." He blinked at me in shock.

"Yup. So, let's go and take a trip down memory lane. Where are we going to do this?"

"In the same room that...Aziraphale...was sentenced." Gabriel sent a side glance my way, and I could tell he was fighting a grin.

"Lead the way. Oh, and Sandalphon...they said Aziraphale gets to join in on the memories too."

"Fine!" He spat out and we all walked into the familiar room that wasn't too far from Gabriel's room.

Once we were all in the middle, I allowed Gabriel to touch his hands to both sides of my head and he pulled out a soft glowing ball of black and gold. He then tossed it into the air and everything around us started to shift. "No one will be able to come into the room and we will watch the memories as observers."

"Got it." I told him, and I prepared myself for the roller coaster of a life time.


	4. Chapter 4

_The memory that first appeared wasn't what I expected. Lucifer had just left me and my wing was bleeding. There were screams and clashing of weapons and I just stood there in the Garden clutching my wing. This version of me, my hair was the same color and my eyes were actually the same color as Aziraphale's. Looking at the old me now...not much changed except my cheek bones. They were smoother and less defined. A stair case appeared before me and in it was a pitch black darkness. 'What is this?' I thought to myself, but then I watched as angels fell from the sky and phased into the ground. 'Oh...so God is sending them away. Well...it's not like anyone will believe I didn't want to fight.' I took in a deep breath, retracted my wings with pained effort and gathered as much confidence I could before walking down. As I walked down, we watched as my appearance changed right down to my snake like eyes, and my hair grew longer. Then, I started to smirk wickedly as I continued my dissent. _

_'I feel different, but somehow it's okay.' I thought as I finally made it to a horrible place that we all knew to be Hell. 'This place...it's the exact opposite of Heaven!' I heard everyone start to land and groan in pain. There was a loud flaming sound and I turned to face it. It was Lucifer. He was on fire and was seemingly growing into a horrendous monster. Then, he was pushed further into the floor right in front of our eyes, leaving a throne that Beelzebub would claim._

"So...can you ALL hear my thoughts since after I fell?" I asked them as the memory continued with Beelzebub moving to the throne and they all nodded yes. "Well, that's just great." I rolled my eyes as my whole body language oozed sarcasm.

_Once Beelzebub was seated on the throne she grinned wickedly. "Oh! We will get them back for this!" Other demons cheered. "How dare they!? We were once their brothers and sisters! They will rue the day! Day one of vengeance starts today everyone!"_

_"YEAH!" Everyone cheered but me._

_'Vengeance? You JUST fell! Seriously!?' I stepped forward with a grin and cleared my throat. "Where do we start?"_

_"Ah! Someone eager!"_

_'Not really, just wondering what's going on.' I made my grin widen. "Well?"_

_"We will start with corrupting the creation God will make in a day's time. You! What's your name!?"_

_'Your name is Crawley.' I heard God's voice in my head. _

_"My name is Crawley." _

_"Perfect! You will be sent into the Garden tomorrow! Tempt...yes...that word...tempt...I rather like it...anyway, TEMPT one of them to do something that will get them kicked out of Eden!" __I nodded my head and gave a short bow._

_The memory shifted to me slithering up the wall to meet Aziraphale, but I didn't know his name at the time. We all watched as I shifted from snake to demon-angel, letting my wings out, and I stood beside Aziraphale, looking out to the humans. "Well, that went down like a lead balloon." I told him as I watched Adam and Eve walk further away._

_He let out a nervous laugh, but I was still focused on Adam and Eve walking away. "Sorry, what was that?"_

_I looked at him and gave a half smile as I answered, "I said well that went down like a lead balloon." He nodded his head and turned away from me, looking back out to the horizon._

_"Yes, YES! It did, rather." _

_I took in a deep breath and spoke. "Bit of an overreaction if you ask me. First offense and everything." I narrowed my eyes as I shook my head. "I can't see what's so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway." _

_"Well it must BE bad...uh..."_

_I raised my eyebrows with a small smile, slightly surprised that he would want to know my name. "Crawley!"_

_"Crawley...otherwise...you wouldn't have tempted them into it."_

_"Oh...well they just said get up there and make some trouble." I looked back out to the horizon, feeling like I should be honest._

_"Well, obviously. You're a demon. It's what you do."_

_I smirked briefly but Aziraphale didn't notice until now, because he was watching the memory. "Not very subtle of the almighty, though. Fruit tree in the middle of the Garden with a 'don't touch' sign. I mean...why not put it on top of a high mountain? Or on the Moon? Makes you wonder what God's really planning."_

_"Best not to speculate." The narrow but slight glare he gave me made me smirk a bit more. "It's all part of the Great Plan. It's not for us to understand. It's ineffable."_

_"The Great Plan's ineffable?" I questioned as a spark of curiosity struck me because of his words. 'That makes no sense.'_

_"Exactly." He answered, and as he continued to talk, I quickly noticed something was missing._

_'Don't...the Guardians of Eden's gates have a flaming sword!?'_

_"...It is beyond understanding..." I heard him speak with confidence. "...and incapable of being put into words."_

_"Didn't you have a flaming sword?"_

_"Uh..."_

_I tilted my head and continued. "You did! It was flaming like anything. What happened to it?"_

_"Uh..."_

_'No...he couldn't have...' My gaze shifted to Adam and Eve briefly before shifting back to him. "Lost it already, have you?"_

_"I gave it away." I heard him mutter, and my eyes instantly went wide._

_"You WHAT!?" I shouted in disbelief. 'A FLAMING SWORD! YOU GAVE AWAY A FLAMING SWORD!?'_

_"I gave it AWAY! There are vicious animals. It's going to be cold out there and she's expecting already, and I said 'Here you go. Flaming Sword. Don't thank me. And don't let the sun go down on you here.'" I watched as the guilt and doubt appeared on his face as his shoulders sagged. "I do hope I didn't do the wrong thing."_

_"Oh...you're an angel. I don't think you CAN do the wrong thing." Once I said them I quickly thought, 'Unless you're me, which you're not.'_

_"Oh! Oh! Thank-Oh Thank you. It's been bothering me."_

_I let out a soft hum as he seemed to relax. "I've been worrying too. What if I did the right thing with the whole eat the apple business. A demon can get into a lot of trouble for doing the right thing." As Adam slayed the lion a tried to continue to distract the other angel. "Be funny if we both got it wrong, eh? If I did the good thing and you did the bad one."_

_He nodded briefly and chuckled nervously, but seemed to quickly come back to his senses. "No! It wouldn't be funny at all!"_

_"Oh...well..." The thunder sounded and I moved slightly closer to Aziraphale._

_He lifted his wing up over me to protect me from the rain and my eyes widened in shock. "Why are you shielding me from the rain?"_

_"Well..." He narrowed his eyes as if to contemplate the answer for himself before turning to face me with a confused little smile. "...you know...I don't actually know the answer to that. Seemed like something I should do."_

_"Huh...you're a bit different aren't you?" I grinned as I relaxed underneath his wing._

_"Different to what?"_

_"The other angels. I remember them. You're just a bit different, but that's okay."_

_"Hmm..." He hummed out with a slight smile as he held his hands in front of him. "...not very reassuring coming from a demon."_

_"Can't blame you there. You know...I reckon my lot are going to want me to stay up here since I did such a great job."_

_"Oh, I hope not." He groaned._

_I let out a soft chuckle as I shook my head. "You're certainly different! Any other angel would strike me down. Smite me as it were...or use holy water. Yeah...we figured that one out when one of the demons tried to take a drink of the water they fell into Hell with. Completely destroyed them. They glowed bright red like fire and melted."_

_"Well, at least I can tell the others that, but why tell me valuable information like that?"_

_I scoffed out a laugh and turned slightly to face him while I was still under his wing. I then lifted my wing up above his head, earning a confused expression accompanied by a grateful smile. "You know...I don't actually know the answer to that. Seemed like something I should do."_

_He actually let out a laugh and it had me grinning from ear to ear. "And I have a feeling you're different from the other demons. I don't think a demon would be protecting an angel from the rain or having a somewhat civil conversation."_

_"We're both a bit different then. Perhaps...it's..."_

_"...Ineffable?" We chorused together and let out short laughs as we looked out past the rain. _

_"Ineffable...it basically means we don't know." I stated calmly as I placed my hands behind my back._

_"And can't possibly know." He added with a solid head nod. He then turned towards me, quickly switching his wing for the other and held his hand out to me. "My name is Aziraphale."_

_"Pleasure to meet you, Aziraphale." I told him as I shook his hand. When he turned back to face the horizon once more, Adam and Eve were long gone and the thunderstorm continued to rage. "So...what are you going to do now?"_

_"Well, if you're going to be on Earth as often as you say...because I was meant to be Guarding the Eastern Gate...my people are likely to ask me to keep an eye on you."_

_"Huh...well...then perhaps we'll meet again."_

_"Perhaps." He grinned, and I turned back into a snake, slithering down into the ground going back into Hell._

As the memory began to shift, it was stopped and I was confused. I looked at Gabriel who stared at us. "What?"

"That's how the two of you met? Neither of you tried to kill the other?" He questioned with a dumbfounded look.

"Nope." I answered. "And yes, that's how we met. You just watched it." I then looked at Sandalphon who was staring at me as well. "What is it?"

"You were civil." He breathed out in a state of surprise.

"Thank you? Can we get back to my memories? We've got a lot to get through."

"You're right." Gabriel nodded his head and resumed the memory.

_I slithered to Adam and Eve's 'home' and I noticed Cain and Abel were sleeping peacefully. Then, a snake smaller than me, but clearly venomous started slithering towards the sleeping children. Since I was in snake form it was fairly easy to do, but I went after the snake and sunk my fangs into it's neck and I dragged it away. 'Not your dinner!' _

_The memory was short and it shifted to where I came up behind Aziraphale as the animals were making it towards the Ark. _ _"Hello, Aziraphale!"_

_"Crawley."_

_I gave him a knowing grin as I realized that this was likely due to him giving away the sword. "So, giving the mortals a flaming sword...how did that work out for ya?"_

_"Well...the almighty has never actually mentioned it again."_

_I looked out to the animals as they continued to go towards the giant boat. "Probably a good thing." I continued to look around and noticed that the mortals weren't boarding the boat. Just the animals. "What's all this about? Build a big boat and fill it with a traveling zoo?"_

_"From what I hear...God's a bit tetchy. Wiping out the human race. Big storm."_

_My eyes widened considerably as I looked at all of the humans. 'You can't be serious...' I then turned my gaze back to him. "All of them!?"_

_"Just the locals." He shrugged as he wrung his hands, clearly upset as well with the fact, but acting as if it were no big deal, which frankly pissed me off. "I don't believe the Almighty's upset with the Chinese or Native Americans...or the Australians."_

_"Yet." I shot back._

_"And God's not actually going to wipe out ALL the locals. I mean, Noah, up there...his family, his son, their wives...they're all going to be fine."_

_"But...they're DROWNING everybody else!" When I heard goats bleating and children laughing my heart sank and I shook my head as I looked back at Aziraphale. "Not the kids...you can't kill kids!"_

_"Mmm-Hmm." He squeaked out as he continued to nod his head._

_"Well, that's more the kind of thing you expect my lot to do."_

_"Yes, but when it's done, uh...the Almighty's going to put up a new thing called a 'Rain Bow', as a promise not to drown everyone again."_

_"How Kind!" I replied, turning my sarcasm into an airy venom. 'The kids!? How!? Why!?'_

_"You can't judge the Almighty Crowley. God's plans are-"_

_I quickly turned towards him, still extremely upset about God killing children and I glared at him. "Are you going to say ineffable?"_

_"Possibly."_

_At his word I noticed that there was a unicorn running away from the rest of the animals. "Oi! Shem! That Unicorn's going to make a run for it! Oh, it's too late...It's too late! Well, you still got one of them!" Right after I spoke the storm came and I could visibly see every individual large rain drop. Aziraphale was right, it was raining and it was raining hard. "Great, now how do we get out of this!?"_

_"I could carry you."_

_"I'm sorry, I must've misheard...I could've sworn you just said you would carry me."_

_"You heard me right. Turn into a snake and I'll take you some place dry."_

_"Why would you do that? I'm a demon remember?"_

_"Yes, but for some reason...you're a demon with his heart still intact. Now, do you want to get out of the rain or not? I imagine downstairs doesn't really allow you to spread your wings all that often."_

_"No, believe me, they don't."_

_"Right, and going so long without flying..."_

_"Fine!" I grumbled and turned into a snake, thankful that the humans had long since run away. He crouched down and held his arm out to me. I slithered up it and wrapped my body around his neck and waist, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm not hurting you am I?"_

_"No, you're actually quite warm and comfortable."_

_"I'm not a fashion trend, Angel. Let's go."_

_I felt him chuckle and he immediately took off, flying with incredible speed as if the storm wasn't even there. "You alright, Crawley?"_

_"All things considered...you're actually comfortable. It could be worse...I could be drowning and discorporated."_

_"Ugh! The paper work!"_

_"Exactly!" I chuckled out. "And trust me, being discorporated as a demon...there's paperwork, but there's also punishment."_

_"Sounds awful! I hope I never fall."_

_"Don't worry, you won't."_

_The memory shifted and I was sent to tempt Jesus, because someone failed the first couple of times. I walked towards him and he knew who I was in a way. "Hello, you're different than the last."_

_"That I am, and you're different than everyone else. I doubt our meeting will be EXACT in the books they will write about you."_

_"Why would that concern a demon?"_

_"It should concern you." I stated calmly. "People will write about how you were tempted and how you denied temptation faithfully."_

_"So, you know I won't be tempted?" He questioned with an intrigued look on his face._

_"You're the son of God. It's highly unlikely that you'll be tempted so easily."_

_"You...you're different." He tilted his head at me and I smirked at him. _

_"Yes, I think we've established that."_

_"No...you used to be an angel."_

_"If you want to get technical..." I sighed out, crossing my arms with a controlled expression. "...all demons were angels once."_

_"Yes, but you're still one. Half anyway."_

_My eyes widened and my crossed arms fell immediately. "H-How?"_

_"Son of God, remember?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at me. "So, what was heaven like in your day?"_

_"It...was beautiful. Nothing could compare. It's bright, peaceful, while at the same time...lively and wondrous. You know...with how you talk...you may not last very long on Earth." I gave him a saddened expression as I stepped closer. _

_"I know. Well, I have a suspicion for now...but I am my Father's son."_

_"That you are." I brought a hand up to my chin and looked out to the horizon. "Come, let me bring you to a high place. I want to show you something, and people can write that I tempted you with it."_

_"But you're not tempting me?"_

_"No, you're the son of God. Any attempt to tempt you would be in vain, but I'm sure others will try. I'm not going to show this to you and urge you to go after it. I'm merely showing it to you. Your the son of God, Earthly kingdoms wouldn't matter much to you. Besides, you're a carpenter...your travel opportunities are limited."_

_"I can tell you're telling the truth." He smiled and followed me. It wasn't far. "Alright, what's here?"_

_I grinned and looked up to the sky, stopping time, taking us to the same place I took Aziraphale so that we could talk to Adam. I then waved my hands through out the air, shifting the surroundings, and without him having to move, I showed him the kingdoms of the world as if he were flying all over the world. Once he had seen them all, I resumed time and calmly smiled at him. "Those are the kingdoms of the world."_

_"They're beautiful. Thank you for showing me that."_

_"You may not want to be thanking a demon."_

_"You're right. Thank you, Raphael."_

_"Wh-What?" I blinked at him in surprise, but it quickly melted as I shook my head. "You're a bright young man. Now, I must go and tell them all how I failed to tempt you." He nodded his head and continued to walk._

_The memory shifted to where I walked up behind Aziraphale as Jesus was being crucified. _ _"Come to smirk at the poor bugger, have you?" _

_"Smirk!? Me?" He gasped, obviously offended by my words._

_"Well, your lot put him there."_

_"I'm not consulted on policy decisions, Crawley."_

_"Oh, I've changed it."_

_"Changed what?" He asked, still looking at Jesus receiving nails in his body._

_"My name. Crawl-y just wasn't doing it for me. It's a bit too...squirming-at-your-feet-ish."_

_"Well, you were a snake. So what is it now? Mephistopheles? Asmodeus?"_

_"Crowley." I answered proudly._

_"Hmm..." The nails were heard once more along with Jesus' cries. "Did you uh...ever meet him?"_

_I nodded my head as I replied, "Yes. Seemed a very bright young man. I showed him all the kingdoms of the world."_

_"Why?" He questioned with awed and justified confusion._

_"He's a carpenter from Galilee. His travel opportunities were limited." Another nail was driven through, and I actually saw the blood come out of his wrist which sent a pang through my heart, knowing who he was and remembering that he knew who I...was. "Oh, that's got to hurt. What was it that he said that got everyone upset?"_

_"Be kind to each other."_

_"Oh, yeah, that'll do it."_

_Once the crowd cleared it was well past dusk and it was just Aziraphale and I. "Crowley?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Were you one of the demons that tried to tempt him?"_

_"Yes." I answered flatly as I breathed out through my nose. "He, of course, didn't fall for it."_

_"What do you mean 'of course'? You can get into a lot of trouble with your people talking like that. Are you well? That seems a bit...kind."_

_"I'm not kind, Angel. Haven't been since before I became a demon."_

_He wiped the tears from his eyes and shook his head. "Now, we both know that's not true."_

_I grinned for half a second before answering. "I'm fine, Aziraphale. Come on. Let's leave him be."_

_"And why would I follow you?" He questioned as he indeed followed me._

_"Because, we both don't like what happened to him, and we both need a drink. I won't tell my bosses if you don't tell yours."_

_He let out a heavy hearted sigh and nodded. "Agreed."_


	5. Chapter 5

I could feel the stares and dropped jaws from the others as the memory began to shift, but I chose to ignore them in favor of having to answer difficult and annoying questions.

_When the memory settled I was in Rome or at the very least arriving, and I was passing through a market, looking at some of the flowers that someone was selling. "These are beautiful, did you grow them yourself?" I looked up and noticed the woman had chestnut brown eyes, long maple brown hair braided behind her, and she gave me a wide appreciative smile. _

_"Yes, I did, actually. Would you like one?"_

_"You know, I think I might." I grinned at her. "There's a beautiful woman that deserves such fine flowers as those you're selling."_

_"She's very fortunate indeed." She chuckled lightly and gathered some of the flowers together. I paid her and took the flowers from her. _

_"Yes, she is." I smirked. I then looked around with a risen brow. "Now...where is she?" I turned my gaze back to her and smiled brightly at her. "Ah! Found her. Here you go." I handed her the flowers and a blush rushed to her face as well as an adoring smile as she took the flowers from me._

_"Why...thank you. You're quite the charmer."_

_"You have no idea. Now, I hear that there's a man that you've been after for a while."_

_"O-Oh...d-don't tell me that's the only reason you gave me the flowers."_

_I stepped back a bit, feigning a look of insulted. "I would never! I truly did give them to you, because you're beautiful and kind. So, about that man..."_

_"I can't...he's married."_

_"But she's abusive." I stated as I stepped a bit closer to her cart. "Surely you can convince him that he would be happier with someone such as yourself. That woman he's married to denies him, chastises him, and insults him...frequently. Surely...there's something someone like you can do."_

_"Like what?" She looked down at the flowers I gave her. "I'm only good at growing flowers. I have nothing to offer him."_

_"You have a good heart. You see, there's a stark difference between you and the woman. She doesn't know what love is. I want you to look down at your flowers again." She did as I asked and looked up at me with confusion. "These are the most vibrant flowers I have seen in a long time. In order for them to be so vibrant and beautiful, they would've had to be taken care of with love and determination. You can give that to him. If the woman he's with now were to try and take care of flowers, they would've wilted long before they bloomed, and look at him..." I smirked as I moved slightly to the side so we could both look at the tall and muscular man with chocolate brown eyes and black hair selling herbs. "...quite handsome isn't he?"_

_"Yes...he is..."_

_"You don't honestly think he deserves to be treated like he's been being treated do you?"_

_"But...it's adultery!" She pouted as she clutched the flowers tighter._

_I carefully placed my hands over her's and smiled softly. "It's love and it's what you both deserve."_

_She flicked her gaze back to him, then me, then him, and then she laughed lightly. "Thank you." She left her stall and went to go talk to the man. I walked towards the stall, but I also walked past it. I turned to look at my work and grinned as she tugged him down to kiss him, and he smiled against her kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Then, I saw the woman he was married to. She was rounding the corner, and I couldn't help the self satisfied smirk that appeared when the wife looked offended. She was about to hit the girl that I had tempted when I grabbed her hand mid-swing. _

_"Let go of me!" At her words, the girl and the man separated and held each other. "That man is my husband! He is betraying me!"_

_The chattering of the crowd hushed at her outburst and my smirk broadened. "Oh? I know for a fact that you have beaten, verbally abused, and denied your husband! You have denied him not in the pleasurable sense, but in the marriage sense. You chastise him for his choice of profession, his clothes, his faith. You have called him names only the devil himself could possibly imagine, and you expect him to what...stay with you? He deserves more than that! He has stayed faithful to you through all your harshness. I suggest you repent your sins to your husband, because not only have you hurt his very soul, you drove him to this. One might say that the devil has found his way into your heart? Now, you have embarrassed yourself. Is there anything you want to say to all of the people, who's attention you've gathered? Hmm?"_

_Her face paled completely as she looked out to all of the people who started whispering while staring at her. She quickly drew back her arm and clutched it with her other hand. "YOU'RE the DEVIL!" She spat at me._

_"How can he possibly be the devil?" A woman from behind me asked. "The devil knows nothing of love, and he certainly wouldn't suggest you repenting! You truly do have the devil in your heart. I've seen it with my own eyes how you've hurt this man. He is so kind and patient and the woman is gentle and loving. They deserve each other."_

_"YEAH!" Everyone shouted at various different points. _

_The woman turned to look at me and I allowed my glasses to slide ever so slightly. "Seems like you're in the wrong." I grinned, and if possible, she went paler and ran away, too frightened to scream. I turned around to face the new couple and I quickly lifted my glasses back up. They smiled at each other and started kissing again, earning cheers from the crowd. "Well, looks like my work here is done." I walked away and as far out of sight as I could get and I summoned Hastur how I usually did, by knocking on the ground six times. _

_Once he came out of the ground he flinched at the sunlight. "What is it Crawley? Make it quick!"_

_"First off...it's Crowley. There's an 'O'. Secondly, this week alone, I have tempted two into gluttony, having them spend copious amounts of money on alcohol. I also tempted a man to show pride in his work and for all to see, and finally, I just tempted a woman to go after a man who was married."_

_"A months work in a week. Lord Beelzebub will be pleased. I will pass the message on. You will be left alone for the remainder of the month. Enjoy tempting others towards you."_

_"I will." I smirked and as soon as he went back in the ground I shuddered. "Ugh...creepy bastard."_

Before the memory continued, it paused and I turned to look at everyone and they stared at me with dropped jaws. "What? I'm starting to think your faces are stuck like that."

"You..." Aziraphale started with a half smile as if the other half didn't know how to react to what it just witnessed. "...tempted her...for good reason. You also embarrassed the wife. You tempted her with...love."

"I CAN still feel it, you know. I can still sense it. I AM half Archangel. The woman that man was married to...it was an arranged marriage. He didn't get a say and neither did she, but the wife resented him for it and took her...wrath...out on him."

"S-So..." Michael started with an intrigued expression. "...did you ever tempt anyone...selfishly?"

"Sometimes I had to so that Hell wouldn't catch up, but I mostly went after ones that I could disguise as temptation using the seven deadly sins. It was easier that way."

"I'm still skeptical." Sandalphon grumbled.

"You're entitled. You don't know me like Gabriel, Uriel, and Michael do. Now, let's continue."

"Right."

_When the memory resumed, I watched Aziraphale walk into a nearby tavern. 'Really now, angel. What are you up to?' I waited a while before following him. When I walked in, he was playing a game of sorts. "What have you got?" I asked the woman behind the counter as I gave a brief side glance to Aziraphale who apparently caught on to my voice. "Give me a jug of whatever you think is drinkable." She spoke the name of the drink, but I wasn't paying attention._

_"Crawley-Crowley..." He quickly corrected as he started to sit down. "Fancy running into you...here. Still a demon then?"_

_'Well it's not like I can be my other half!' I quickly looked up and his eyes went a bit wider. "What kind of stupid question is that? 'Still a de-' what else am I going to be, an aardvark!?" I let out a heavy sigh as I turned away from him._

_"Salutaria." I heard him say and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he lifted his glass for a silent toast. "In Rome long?"_

_"Just nipped in for a quick temptation. You?"_

_"Well, I thought I'd try Petronius' new restaurant. I hear he does remarkable things to oysters."_

_'Have I eaten an oyster? I...don't think I have...' I thought to myself as the realization came to me. "I've never eaten an oyster."_

_"Oh, well, let me tempt you..."_

_'I MUST'VE misheard.' I slammed my cup down with a look of amusement in my eyes as a highly amused smile threatened to appear on my face._

_"...oh no...that's your job, isn't it?"_

_"Yes, it is." I allowed the amused smile to break through. "However, angels can do the same...for the right reasons...and receive no repercussions."_

_"Now, Crowley, that's not entirely true." He rolled his eyes. "So, would you like to join me?"_

_"For oysters?" I asked as I took a drink of what she gave me. _

_"Yes." He nodded his head with a hopeful look in his eyes._

_"Alright." I sighed out and downed the rest of my drink, paying for mine and Aziraphale's before we left. "So how far is this place?"_

_"Oh, not far." He told me as we walked out of the tavern. "It's just around the corner here." I followed him all the way to the building, inside, and to a table. We got our oysters and I watched him eat one._

_"I-Is that how I'm supposed to eat it!?" _

_"Yes." He chuckled lightly. "Oh, that was really good! You should try it, Crowley."_

_I looked at my oyster and gave it a disgusted look. "If I get discorporated from how disgusting it is, I'm coming back and returning the favor."_

_He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Just try it, Crowley. Nothing wrong in trying something new."_

_"Huh..." I grinned at him with a slight look of disbelief. "...an angel tempting a demon. Will wonders never cease." _

_"Likely not. Come on. Try it."_

_I stared at him with a dropped jaw as I scoffed out a laugh. "And no denial!" I looked at the oyster and shook my head. "Alright, temptation accomplished." I ate the oyster like he did, and although it was strange it actually tasted really good. "Huh...not bad at all. It's actually delicious."_

_"See? I told you."_

_"Can we have more?"_

_A broad smile appeared on Aziraphale's face as he nodded his head and ordered more, because apparently what we ate was a sample of sorts. "I'm glad you like it. You know, I don't think I've ever actually seen you eat before."_

_"I eat...just not often. Don't really need to."_

_"Yes, but it IS enjoyable."_

_"Careful, Angel. You may get called back."_

_"If they haven't minded now, they won't mind later. I've been with the humans as long as you have and I've tried as many different types of food. Apparently God's allowing it." When the oysters made it to the table, we began to eat again. "Besides, I'm charged with keeping an eye on you and the humans."_

_"And I'm charged with keeping an eye on you and tempting humans. Seems we're here doing the same job on different sides."_

_"Seems so." He hummed out before taking a drink of his wine. "So what was the temptation?"_

_"Adultery." I answered with a hint of pride. "Quite successfully I might add. The woman kissed the married man seconds after I spoke to her."_

_"Oh! Crowley! That's horrible!"_

_"Depends on how you look at it." I tilted my head as I drank from my glass as well._

_The memory shifted and it was when Aziraphale met me as I was dressed as the black knight. It was one helluva time skip, but it skipped a great deal of selfish temptation so I didn't mind. "I was hoping I could meet with the black knight."_

_'Is that...is that Aziraphale!?' I stepped forward in my armor, which was heavier than I thought it'd be at first. "You have sought the black knight, foolish one, but you have found...your death."_

_"Is that you under there, Crawley?"_

_"Crowley!" I told him as I lifted my helmet._

_"What the hell are you playing at!?" He whispered out with a confused expression._

_"It's alright, lads. I know him. He's alright." I turned to face him again, shifting in my uncomfortable armor. "I'm here spreading foment."_

_"What is that? Some kind of porridge?"_

_"No, I'm fomenting dissent and discord. King Arthur's been spreading too much peace and tranquility in the land. So I'm here, you know...fomenting." I tilted my head slightly._

_"Well, I'm meant to be fomenting...peace."_

_"So we're both working VERY hard in damp places...canceling each other out."_

_"Well, you could put it like that." He then looked around and wrinkled his nose in slight disgust. "It IS a bit damp."_

_"It'd be easier if we both just stayed home. We both send messages back to our head offices saying we've done everything they'd asked for, wouldn't it?"_

_"But that would be lying!" The sound of his voice similar to a plead and a whine at the same time somehow._

_"Eh, possibly...but the results'd be the same. Cancel each other out."_

_"But...my dear fellow...well, they'd check. Michael's a...bit of a stickler. You don't want to get Gabriel upset with you."_

_'I wouldn't say that aloud if I were you. Michael isn't someone you want to mess with, and Gabriel...well...I taught him how to fight, but of course...no one knows that, because of everything that happened.' I shifted slightly in my armor as I continued to try and convince him. "Oh, our lot has better things to do than verifying compliance reports from Earth. As long as they get the paper work, they seem happy enough. As long as you've been seen doing SOMETHING every now and again."_

_"No! Absolutely not!" My eyes widened considerably in shock at how much he raised his voice and at the feeling of anger, resentment, and hints of wrath pouring off of him. "I am SHOCKED that you would even imply such a thing! We're not having this conversation! Not another word!"_

_"Right." Was all I was able to manage against his raw emotion. 'Okay...it IS possible to piss him off. Got it. Gonna try and not do it again.'_

_"Right!" He shouted as he walked away._

As the memory shifted it had paused again and Aziraphale immediately went behind my back. I couldn't help the fond chuckle that escaped as I noticed Gabriel and Michael crossing their arms with amused smiles. "Aziraphale. They promised they wouldn't hurt you. They promised ME they wouldn't hurt you."

"WHAT!? Why would you do such a thing!? It's obvious that Aziraphale has been a traitor far longer than we thought!" Sandalphon was seething, which earned a disappointed look from Gabriel.

"Sandalphon...you don't know everything and you don't know all of who Crowley used to be. There's a lot you don't know, and we had made our promises. I expect you to keep up to it. As my soulmate brother."

"Oh..." He growled out. "...that's low even for you."

"None the less...I stand by what I say."

"Fine!" He spat out.

Aziraphale came out from behind me and gave a nervous smile. "So...the two of you aren't mad about what I said?"

"How can they be mad when they've said the same thing about me in the past to other angels."

"REALLY!?" He gasped in shock as he blinked up at me.

"Yes, really. Nearly the same exact thing. Can we please continue?" I asked Gabriel and he nodded as he resumed the memories.

_After Arthur won...and died...Aziraphale and I found ourselves in a tavern that was 'miraculously' still standing. We both walked in wearing peasant clothes. Him wearing his usual colors as he wore a loose fitted shirt, lightly tanned pants, and even lightly tanned boots. I was wearing around the same thing, but all in black and with slightly longer hair. "So...Arthur died..." I muttered as I drank the ale that was placed in front of me and Aziraphale. Although, I took my own of course. Aziraphale looked like he needed about four more before he even touched it._

_"He did. Merlin did everything he could."_

_"Yes, I could see that for myself. So, what are you going to tell your head office?"_

_He took a drink of his ale and let out a heavy sigh. "Exactly what happened, unfortunately. Even meeting up with you."_

_"Right, and I'm going to have to do the same." I groaned out as I finished my drink. "So, what are you doing after this?"_

_"I don't really know for sure. Well, I mean, I have to send in my report, but after that..."_

_"I heard there was a new restaurant two days ride from here. I hear they do amazing things with fish and steak."_

_"Are you...inviting me to lunch?"_

_"Well, it's a good thing you're not deaf then." I chuckled out as I turned to face him. "So, your answer, Angel?"_

_"I would love to. Do you think they have oysters?" _

_At that I bellowed out a laugh that was just regarded as drunk laughter to everyone else for how out of place it sounded. "You know..." I chuckled as my laughter died down. "...they very well might." _


	6. Chapter 6

_When the memory shifted it showed Aziraphale and I in the theater that Shakespeare was showing Hamlet. "To be or not to be! That is the question! Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows you..."_

_I ignored the rest as I walked up to Aziraphale slightly ticked off, but also slightly amused. "I thought you said we'd be inconspicuous here. Blend in among the crowds."_

_"Well, that was the idea."_

_"Hang on!" I heard Shakespeare command his actor._

_'Oh, boy...here we go.' I sighed in my head as I watched Shakespeare running towards us. "This isn't one of Shakespeare's gloomy one's is it? OH! No wonder nobody's here!"_

_"Shh! It's him! It's him!"_

_"Prithee, gentles, might I request a small favor? Could you, in your role, as the audience, give us more to work with?" I turned to face Aziraphale with a curious expression on my face as I wondered what he would say next._

_"You mean like when the ghost of his father came on, and I said, 'He's behind you!'?"_

_"Just so! That was jolly helpful. Made everyone on stage feel more appreciated. A bit more of that. Good master Burbage, speak the lines trippingly."_

_"I am wasting my time up here!"_

_"No!" Aziraphale shouted kindly, and I mentally groaned. "No, you're very good! I love all the...talking."_

_"And what does your friend think?"_

_"Oh, he's not my friend. We've never met before. We don't know each other."_

_I gave a wide toothy grin at Aziraphale's words. 'Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, Aziraphale.' I let out a small laugh as I leaned back slightly to answer, "I think you should get on with the play!"_

_"Uh, yes, Burbage, please! From the top!"_

_As he started to recite his lines again I tried to tune him out, but then Aziraphale tried to be helpful. Tried...being the key word. "To be! I mean...Not to be! Come on, Hamlet! Buck up!"_

_"He's very good isn't he?"_

_"Age does not wither, nor custom stale his infinite variety."_

_"What do you want?" I heard Aziraphale ask as I walked around him._

_"What EVER would you insinuate that I might possibly want something?" I smirked slightly and eventually settled to stand slightly in front of him and on his right side._

_"YOU are up to no good."_

_"Obviously. You're up to Good, I take it? Lots of good DEEDS."_

_"No rest for the well...good. I have to be in Edinburgh at the end of the week. A couple of blessings to do. A minor miracle to preform. Apparently I have to ride a horse."_

_I groaned as I remembered all the times Aziraphale and I were forced to ride horses, but since Carriages became a thing, one would think you didn't have to anymore. "Hard on the buttocks, horses. Major design flaw if you ask me. I'm meant to be heading to Edinburgh too, this week. Tempting a clan leader to steal some cattle."_

_He started to where a calculative and confused expression. "Doesn't sound like hard work."_

_"That's why I thought we should..." As I trailed off, he turned towards me with a slightly risen brow, quickly adding up what I was about to say, but just in case he didn't I decided to continue. "Well, bit of a wasted effort, both of us going all the way to Scotland."_

_"You cannot actually be suggesting...what I infer...you are implying."_

_"Which is?"_

_"That just ONE of us goes to Edinburgh, does both. The blessing and the tempting."_

_"We've done it before. Dozens of times now." I leaned over slightly and in a quieter but higher pitched voice continued, "The arrangement."_

_"Don't say that!"_

_"Our respective head offices don't actually care how things get done. They just want to know they can cross it off the list."_

_"But if Hell finds out...they won't just be angry. They'll destroy you." The pleading in his voice was obvious. He was asking me to reconsider, because he didn't want to risk me getting permanently killed._

_I held my hands behind my back as I continued the conversation. "Nobody ever has to know. Toss you for Edinburgh."_

_It took him about three seconds to think about the answer or until he finally relented, however you want to see it. "Fine. Heads."_

_I tossed the coin, listening to the ringing noise it briefly made. Once I caught it and it landed I looked at it. "Tails, I'm afraid. You're going to Scotland."_

_Right after I spoke, I heard Shakespeare talking to one of the woman who were handing out flowers or food. "It's been like this every performance, Juliet. Complete dud! It'd take a miracle to get anyone to come and see hamlet."_

_'Oh no...' I sighed out in my mind as I looked to Aziraphale and quickly noticed the look of hope and a silent, but loudly heard, 'A favor for a favor, Crowley.' I shook my head as I let out a sigh of frustration. "Yes, alright..." I sighed out. "I'll do that one. My treat."_

_"Oh really?"_

_"I still prefer the funny ones." I walked out of the theater and looked out to the people walking back and forth a carriage going down the dirt road. 'Right...how am I going to do this without setting a warning flag to Hell...' I watched as some people glanced at the theater, but they would pass it. 'Oh? They want to go in, but they don't want to be the only ones. There also seems to be a few woman who...oh! Well then! Seems like there's A LOT of woman who fancy Shakespeare! I can work with that!' I moved forward and grabbed a rose from one of the passing women selling them, and tossed a coin her way. I then caught up with the woman who had stared at the theater the longest. I tapped her gently on the shoulder, gaining her attention. "Pardon me, my lady. I just had to gain your attention."_

_"Oh?" She questioned with a small smile. I handed her the rose and she took it gracefully. "I take it you didn't merely capture my attention to hand me a rose."_

_"Oh, a clever woman! So refreshing now a days! Yes, you see...I couldn't help but notice that you were eyeing the theater."_

_"I wasn't eyeing the theater good sir. I was eyeing you."_

_"O-Oh!" I stood straighter with a wide and surprised smile on my face. "May I ask why?"_

_"You ARE rather handsome and I've seen you around with a gentleman who is also handsome, but not as much as you. Tell me...are the two of you..."_

_"Oh, no! We're not involved! We're brothers!"_

_"Ah, I see. Well, then perhaps you wouldn't object to spending time with me tonight."_

_I gave her a gentlemanly bow with a polite smile. "I'm not that kind of man, my lady. Terribly sorry. However, perhaps you'll come with me to see Shakespeare's new play. Hamlet. I've watched the actors rehears and it's really quite interesting and good."_

_"Sounds pleasant enough." She chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume. It's just you ARE rather handsome. I thought that perhaps you knew your way with women."_

_"Oh, I do, but I haven't gone any further than perhaps a kiss and polite conversation. Haven't found the right woman. Might never find her, but I'm perfectly content with that. It's been me and my brother for the longest time anyway."_

_"He's lucky to have you thinking so highly of him. Tell me...does he think as highly of you?"_

_I let out a calm sigh with a slight smile. "I'd like to think so, but...let's just say in our WHOLE family...we're the only ones that REALLY get along with each other. It makes everything a bit difficult and nearly suffocating, but yeah...I'd like to think so, but if he doesn't that's fine."_

_"My, it's too bad you don't have a woman. She would have to consider herself lucky with a heart like yours."_

_"Well, for tonight at least, you will be my woman, and I may have to ask something selfish of you."_

_"What would that be?" She smiled softly as she smelled the rose._

_"Could you help me get others in to see Hamlet? I'll be working to get them interested, I just need you to get them inside somehow."_

_"Shouldn't be too hard." She giggled lightly, which caused me to give an honest smile. _

_Our plan seemed to work. I would miracle people's attention towards the theater and draw them closer, and she would politely and sometimes seductively suggest that they go and see Hamlet. Once there was enough people filing in, I turned to her with an amused laugh. "Well, aren't you something! My name's Crowley!"_

_"Juliana."_

_"What a beautiful name." I hummed lightly and then I felt a tug on my sleeve. I turned and saw Aziraphale. "Oh! Aziraphale! Good to see you again."_

_"Likewise, Crowley. Erm...who is this?"_

_"Her name is Juliana. She actually helped me pull off the little miracle."_

_"Oh, really?" Aziraphale's face lit up with delight as well as something knowing behind his eyes, but I couldn't quite figure it out. "Would she like to sit with us?"_

_I turned to face her and held out my hand to her. "I would love to." She said as she took my hand, and I made three seats available within the crowd and at the front. She sat in between Aziraphale and I, and I noticed a knowing smirk on his face._

_'A smirk? He doesn't smirk like that unless he knows something I don't. I guess I'll have to wait until after.' At the end of my thought as we were seated and the play had begun, I felt Juliana grab my hand and my cheeks reddened slightly, and I looked at her, watching her give me a kind smile. "Juliana?" I whispered questioningly and curiously._

_"You sir, are a demon."_

_"Oh really?" I asked with a small smile as the actors started to recite their lines, gaining everyone else's attention._

_"Yes, I saw your eyes when you bowed and looked up at me."_

_"O-Oh...and you're not bothered?"_

_"Bothered?" She whispered out a laugh as she held my hand tighter while still being gentle. "If anything, I'm more intrigued. A kind and gentlemanly demon. Who knew?"_

_I briefly looked over at Aziraphale who was looking more smug than anything, and my eyes widened as I realized what he felt coming off of her, because now I could suddenly feel it too. She was in love with me. When Aziraphale looked at me his smug grin turned back into a smirk as he leaned over and whispered to me, "You've seemed to catch the attention of a human woman. Quite immensely. I doubt you can feel it, but Crowley...she loves you and is quite taken with you. I suppose for you, it's a good thing I have to be in Edinburgh this week."_

_"A-Aziraphale!" I whispered shouted at him, causing him to chuckle lightly as he watched the play. I then turned to face Juliana who was highly amused by it all. _

_"Is your brother a demon as well?" I didn't see it at the time, but Aziraphale gawked at us for a moment in shock before quickly turning to watch the play some more with widened eyes._

_"No, he's an angel, truth be told, but we ARE brothers. May I ask you how you fell in love with me?"_

_"It was your politeness, boldness, honesty, and especially your eyes. Are you bothered by it?"_

_"Bothered?" I breathed out as my heart pounded against my chest, because she truly was interesting and beautiful. I gave her a light kiss on the cheek and grinned as I pulled away. "If anything, I'm more intrigued."_

_The memory shifted and it was me standing at Juliana's grave. Aziraphale came up behind me and gave my shoulder a tight squeeze. "Crowley...are you alright?"_

_"No, I don't think I am...but I will be."_

_"The two of you were good together and she lived to be eighty-five. That's a lot longer than most."_

_"I know, and you managed to help keep Heaven off of me as well as Hell. I've returned the favor many times, but if either side knew that I had a wife..."_

_"I know." He breathed out a shaky breath. "You know...I half expected the two of you to have at least one child."_

_"No, we never made it that far. We were both content with kissing and touching, but neither of us wanted to go that far."_

_"So you've told me." Aziraphale turned me to face him and he gave me a saddened smile. "Crowley..."_

_I couldn't hold it in. I grabbed his shoulders and placed my forehead on his left shoulder. "I miss her, Aziraphale. I knew what I was doing. I knew that I'm immortal and she's mortal and I would eventually see her die, but..." __Aziraphale wrapped his arms around me and for good measure his wings, which caused me to back away only slightly, startled and worried. "Aziraphale! Your wings! People will see!"_

_"It's two in the morning, Crowley, and I don't personally care right now. Besides, I can just miracle them to either forget or not notice. Now, come here..." He pushed his wings against my back and I sobbed into his shoulder. "There...there..."_

_"Why...why are you...being...nice to me! I'm a...demon!"_

_"For nearly fifty-five years you had the heart of a human. As impossible as I thought it was, and for a while I just thought you were tempting her, but then I felt it after two years...you had the heart of a human with that woman. You loved. A demon. A fallen angel...loved."_

_"Yeah...I did...and I put my best friend at risk. I-I can't have you at risk."_

_"Crowley?"_

_"For nearly fifty-five years I've been putting you at risk. I won't do that again. I won't let your life be at risk again."_

_"Crowley...I think you've been exposed to love for too long. You're not talking like a demon. You're talking like an..."_

_"...like an Angel." I nodded my head. "Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry...but could I ask you to tuck in your wings?" He nodded his head and tucked his wings in. "Good, now I'm sorry, but I have to do this."_

_"Do what?"_

_"This..." I placed my hands on either side of his head and we both started glowing. Then, for all of us viewing the memory, we all witnessed me altering Aziraphale's memory. Everything that involved Juliana was taken away. Whenever Aziraphale and I would meet up, it would be just me and him in his memory. At the theater the night Juliana and I met...it would be just me and Aziraphale in his mind. Soon, I let go of him and he staggered slightly as the glow quickly dissipated. I also made him a bit drunk for good measure. "Whoa, you alright there, Aziraphale?"_

_"Yeah...a bit drunk, I'm afraid." He held his head and I took the quick moment to wipe my tears. "Why are we here?"_

_"Oh, there was a woman I met a long time ago. The best tempting I had ever done. This is her grave."_

_"How was she the best temptation you've ever done? You've been alive for a very long time, Crowley."_

_"How about you sober up." I suggested with a fake smile. Once he did, I looked back at the grave. "I was able to tempt her...to me."_

_"Poor woman then. I suppose it didn't last long with you being a demon and incapable of love. Humans can only lust for so long. So, how long did it last?"_

_"No long enough." I sighed out._

As the memory began to shift, it paused and I let out a heavy sigh as I turned to face Aziraphale, who suddenly had tears streaming down his cheeks. "Wh-Why would you do that!?" He choked out, and it sent a pang of guilt to my heart.

"Because, if Heaven found out what you were doing for me, they'd destroy you, and if you remembered it, you would remind me of it at some point or every now and then, and that would likely catch Hell's attention, and I couldn't have that."

"B-But what I just said to you! A-And what I've BEEN saying to you! You just...LET me say them!"

"Yes, I did, because you already helped me far more than you should've. I was fine with it, because I KNEW the truth. I was perfectly fine hearing it."

"Were you, though?"

"Yes."

"And you're...still under truth serum."

"Yes." I grinned and Aziraphale visibly relaxed, but his tears only just started to slow.

"Y-You took my memories...can you give them back?"

"I think so." I furrowed my brow as I placed my hands on either side of him, thinking of every encounter we had with Juliana. Once I reached her death, I released him and his tears only started up again. "Aziraphale..."

"The two of you...you were completely in love, Crowley."

"Helplessly." I chuckled. "However, that's far in the past. I'm sorry for taking your memories."

"No, you were justified." He wiped his tears and I turned to face Gabriel who looked confused.

"You...loved a human woman?" He asked me with a look of shock shining in his violet eyes.

"Very much." I replied honestly, not that I had a choice.

"And she was okay with you being a demon?"

"Yes. She was."

"Did she know that you were half angel and half demon?"

"No. I never told...or showed...her. Now, can we get on with my memories? I want to be out of this one as soon as possible."

"Of course." He gave an apologetic smile before continuing the memory, and I briefly noticed an actual look of sympathy coming from Sandalphon, not that he was pointing it at me, but it was still there.


	7. Chapter 7

_For some reason, I felt a tug in my soul and it led me to the Bastille. 'Aziraphale!?' I questioned loudly in my mind as the tug became anxious and upset. I quickly made my way past the guards, forcing them to not notice me, until I made it Aziraphale's cell. I quickly and quietly made it in and sat myself down before I stopped time around the prison and the executioner, who had turned to marvel at the sound of the guillotine. "Animals!" Aziraphale spat out._

_"Animals don't kill each other with clever machines, Angel. Only humans do that."_

_"Crowley!" He turned quickly to face me and then saw what I was wearing. "Oh good Lord!"_

_'The EVER holy Aziraphale taking the lord's name in vain! I think I might faint!' I tried my best to hide my amusement as I simply shook my head. "What the deuce are you doing locked up in the Bastille? I thought you were opening a book shop!"_

_"Well, I was! I got peckish."_

_'What!?' My eyes widened as I stared at him in disbelief. "Peckish?"_

_"Well, if you must know...it was the crepes. You can't get decent ones anywhere but Paris. And the brioche."_

_"So you just popped across the Channel during a revolution, because you wanted something to nibble...dressed like that?"_

_"I have standards!"_

_'Standards...right, of course, because STANDARDS is an excuse a SANE supernatural being would use!' I sighed out in irritation in my head._

_"I'd heard they were getting a bit carried away over here, but..."_

_"Yeah, this is not getting carried away. This is cutting off lots of people's heads very efficiently with a big head cutting machine. Why don't you just preform another miracle and go home?"_

_"I was reprimanded last month. They said I preformed too many frivolous miracles. Got a strongly worded note from Gabriel."_

_'Yikes...if he got a note from Gabriel...strongly worded is an understatement.' I looked up at him and gave a brief smile. "Well, you're lucky I was in the area."_

_"I suppose I am. Why are you here?"_

_"My lot gave me a commendation for outstanding job performance."_

_There was a sudden flash of anger in Aziraphale's eyes. "So all this is YOUR demonic work!?"_

_"NO! The humans thought it up themselves! Nothing to do with me!" _

_I snapped my fingers and released him from the cuffs. He rubbed at his wrists with a slightly relieved look on his face. "Well, I suppose I should say thank you for the uh...rescue."_

_I immediately got up, slightly agitated. 'Don't thank me! I haven't done anything worth thanking!' I sneered at him as I spoke, "Don't say that. If my people hear that I've rescued an angel, I'll be the one in trouble, and my lot do not send rude notes."_

_"Well, anyway, I'm very grateful. What about if I buy you lunch?"_

_"Looking like that?" I glanced at his outfit and he had the nerve to let out a frustrated sigh as he ACTUALLY SWITCHED clothes with the executioner. I hadn't expected that, and in a way, it was poetic justice._

_"Well, barely counts as a miracle, really." At his words, I resumed time and the guards came in to collect the 'Englishman.'_

_"Dressed like that, he's asking for trouble." I muttered with mild amusement. "What's for lunch?"_

_"What would you say to some crepes?"_

_"I wouldn't mind too terribly." The memory blinked like a scene would in a movie or TV show and we were suddenly at a restaurant, receiving crepes. We both got the same ones and they had strawberries. "This actually looks good." I mentioned and I took a bite. "And it ACTUALLY IS good!" _

_"Really, Crowley...it's like you haven't eaten in centuries!"_

_I scoffed out a laugh, trying not to show the pain in my expression or voice as I replied, "More like since Shakespeare was still doing plays."_

_"Oh! Well, you really should eat more!"_

_"I'm fine. Like I said, we don't need it. It just tastes really good and it IS filling, but we don't NEED it."_

_"You're missing out." He shook his head as he dug into his Crepe._

_"I'll have to take your word for it." I chuckled as I started to finish my crepe. "So, really...why did you cross the channel?"_

_"I told you?"_

_I swayed my head from side to side as I pointed my fork at him. "Yeah, but that's only half the reason isn't it? Come on. What's the REAL reason?"_

_"Well...I AM meant to be keeping an eye on you, and there was something off about the area. It felt...less evil. So, I came to see if you were alright."_

_"Perfectly fine."_

_He pursed his lips at me in contemplation and shook his head. "So, have you not been tempting people here?"_

_"Oh, I have, but minor things. Just enough to report back and have them leave me along for a while. You know, maybe it was someone from your lot coming down here for a quick minute. I think they're gone now. Haven't felt the presence of holiness until I saw you in the Bastille. Which...tells me that you DID want a nibble of crepes, but that you also had to come keep an eye on me...but forgot to change your clothes."_

_"I didn't WANT to change my clothes."_

_"Then you're foolish." I muttered under my breath, but he heard it._

_"I may be foolish, but at least I'm doing my job."_

_"Calm down, Angel. That's not how I meant it. I didn't mean to upset you."_

_"A-Are you...apologizing?"_

_"And you'll never hear it again unless under dire circumstances."_

_"Well...I forgive you."_

_"Can't forgive the unforgivable, Aziraphale." I sighed as I took a drink of my wine. 'Especially with all that I've done.'_

_"Whatever you say, Crowley. So, what have you been up to?"_

_"Sight seeing I suppose. Wanted to get out of England for a while."_

_"Why's that?"_

_"Too gloomy at the moment, I suppose. What have you been up to?"_

_"Eating, setting up my book shop, and having lunch with an old friend."_

_"Oh!" I laughed out. "So, now we're friends? I distinctly remember you telling that actor on the stage when we were watching them rehearse for Hamlet...that we weren't friends."_

_"Yes, well...didn't know who was listening."_

_"Fair enough. So, how's the book shop coming along?"_

_His eyes lit up and he nearly forgot about his crepes. Nearly. He told me about everything he had to do to get the building, the approvals from both humans and angels, and how many more books he wanted to get. We had long finished our crepes and many glasses of wine by the time he finished. "Let me sober up..." He grumbled, and he did just that while I did the same. "Alright, and that's how it's coming along."_

_"You know...for all of the human stuff...you can just...miracle it to happen."_

_"That sounds like you're trying to tempt me."_

_"Perhaps, but it's a fact." _

_"It may be a fact, Crowley, but it wouldn't feel like I earned the book shop. I'm doing it the hard way so that I can look at the book shop and say, 'I did the work to get it here.'_

_"THAT...is pride!" I laughed out with a pure look of disbelief. "I thought you lot weren't allowed to feel that!" _

_"W-Well..." He started stuttering, and my grin broadened._

_"Aziraphale. That's a deadly sin, or so it goes. Do yourself a favor and try not feel too much of it."_

_"What?" He gasped at me with genuine shock. "You're a demon telling me not to feel pride? Do you know how much credit and recognition you would get for felling an angel?"_

_"Not interested in felling angels. Sorry. I much prefer humans to tempt into falling so to speak. There's so many of them."_

_"So...you never sought to tempt me?" He questioned with a tilt of his head. _

_"No, not really. Well...alcohol, food, music, and reading...I knew something erm..."  
_

_"Good?"_

_"Yes, that...would come of showing you a decent book. So...gluttony I suppose, but hey, you're still an angel and I haven't been smited for knowing you or spending time with you, so perhaps this is all...ineffable."_

_"Us knowing each other is...ineffable!?" He let out a haughty laugh as he shook his head. "Oh! Crowley, I do believe you didn't sober yourself all the way."_

_"Did too! Besides, by definition we're not meant to know. Just take a guess, and can you REALLY guess any other reason how and why we've gotten so lucky with as often as we're out in public with each other?"_

_He leaned back in his chair, obviously giving it honest thought. After about five minutes he let out an agitated sigh. "Alright, you win this round, Crowley."_

_"HA!"_

_"Here, just for that, I'll pay for lunch."_

_"Oh? I'll have to pay you back some day."_

_"I'll hold you to it. You'll have to remind me. The next time you eat will likely be decades or centuries from now."_

_The memory shifted to Aziraphale and I at St. James' Park, and he was feeding the ducks with his own duck feed that he miracled into his hat. "I've been thinking...what if it all goes wrong? We have a lot in common, you and me."_

_"I don't know." He said as he threw some of the crumbs out into the water. "We both may have started off as angels, but YOU are fallen."_

_"I didn't really fall! I just...you know...sauntered vaguely downwards. I need a favor."_

_"We already have the agreement, Crowley. Stay out of each other's way, lend a hand when needed."_

_"This is something else, for if it all goes pear-shaped."_

_"I like pears."_

_"If it all goes WRONG, I want insurance."_

_"What?" I heard him ask in a confused manner as he shook the rest of the crumbs out of his hat._

_"I wrote it down. Walls have ears. Well, not walls, TREES have ears. DUCKS have ears. Do ducks have ears? Must do, that's how they hear other ducks." _

_"Out of the question!" The heartbreak in his voice nearly made me flinch. I couldn't understand, it was pretty simple. Well, not simple, but nothing to warrant heartbreak._

_"Why not?"_

_"It would destroy you! I'm not bringing you a suicide pill, Crowley!" He handed me the paper with a pained expression on his face._

_'Wait...he thinks I'll...NO!' I looked at him quickly, taken back by what he assumed. "That's NOT what I want it for! Just insurance!" I handed him the note back, quickly getting agitated._

_"I'm not an idiot, Crowley. Do you know what trouble I'd be in if they knew I was...fraternizing? It's completely out of the question!"_

_"Fraternizing!?" I glared at him. 'Angel, you have no clue about my past as an angel and you 'forgot' about Juliana. This isn't Fraternizing!' _

_"Well, whatever you wish to call it! I do not think there is any point in discussing it further."_

_"I have lots of other people to FRATERNIZE with, Angel."_

_"Oh, of course you do!"_

_"I don't need you!" As soon as the words left my mouth there was a sharp pain in my chest._

_"Well, and the feeling is mutual. Obviously!" I watched as he tossed the paper into the water, and set it on fire while he walked away._

_"Obviously." I mocked childishly._


	8. Chapter 8

_"Crowley! This is perfect!" I heard Hastur tell me as he appeared before me._

_"Um...what is?"_

_"There will be bombs dropping on the East End in a week's time! Oh! This will be glorious!"_

_"Right! Glorious! Well, my report...I tempted a man to go after a married woman, and so he did without hesitation and even ended up fighting the man she was married to. I tempted a woman to covet all the money she could." After that I silently added, 'So that she could save money for her children in the future rather than spending it on booze.' I cleared my throat and continued, "I got an officer to not only accept a bribe but to give one as well."_

_"Well done." He chuckled darkly, making my skin crawl. "Do tell us how the bombing goes."_

_"Will do." I nodded and watched as he sunk back into the ground. Once he was gone I quickly got in my Bentley and tore off towards the East End. Once there, I noticed that life was going as normal as it could at this point and time. 'How the Hell am I going to pull this off!?' I got out of my car and looked out to the children playing in the streets. 'They can't be here! You can't kill kids!' I looked around and tried to figure out something. 'It'll take a miracle to get them all or at least most of them out in time...but it'll also take more than a miracle. I need...someone religious.' I closed the door to my car and noticed a woman sitting on the steps of a church and she was reading the bible. 'Perfect.' I walked over to her and sat next to her. She gave me a brief smile and went back to the bible. "So, the bible huh?"_

_"Dark times call for drastic measures...or something like that." She hummed._

_"I agree...you know...I have reason to believe...I have been gifted by God."_

_"Are you...flirting with me?" She questioned as she closed her bible and looked at me with a raised brow and an entirely unamused expression._

_"Oh, no. My wife passed away some time ago." I told her and added silently in my mind. 'A LONG time ago.'_

_"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Well, what do you mean?" I looked around and I grinned at her. I grabbed her hand and took her behind the church to where NO ONE could see us, and I briefly let my wings out. Just enough for her to see. Then I tucked them back into my back, and watched as she clasped her hands over her mouth and tears started to fall from her eyes. "A-An Ang-" I quickly covered her mouth with my hand._

_"Don't finish that. Don't want the demons to know there's one of my kind here. After all, they're enjoying the war, but I'm not. I need your help though."_

_"M-Me!? Why me!? I'm a nobody!"_

_"You're not a nobody. You were reading the bible on the steps of a church while children played and others discussed or argued. I can't think of anyone better for this. Now, there will be bombs falling here on the East End in a week's time! We need to get as many people out as possible. I'm not quite sure how to do that."_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"As serious as I can be." I answered honestly. "I need it to be done by humans. Can't have it officially be called a miracle, otherwise the demons will get craftier and I think everyone's already been hurt enough."_

_"You're right. I think I can help you." She nodded her head and pulled me by the hand leading me back out to the front of the church. "Now, rumors go a long way, how's your acting?"_

_"Pretty good." I smirked._

_"Good, we'll walk around saying around the same thing in different ways, and people will overhear it, and then eventually I'll try and get everyone together. In a week's time you said?" I nodded my head. "Let's hope this works." She walked us near a crowd of people of about ten, and they were talking and walking. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask!" She asked with a faked worried expression that actually looked convincing. "Did you hear? They're planning to drop bombs here...In just a WEEK!"_

_"Yes, I heard that too! I think I actually saw some of the air crafts on my way here! I had traveled quite a ways."_

_"What?" Someone in the crowd asked and they stepped towards us, stopping the rest of the crowd. "Bombs? Here? In a week?"_

_"Yes, I heard about it a week ago from a German officer. He seemed pleased about it!" I told her with a faked worried expression of my own._

_"Oh my goodness!" The woman acting with me gasped. "I ALSO heard it from a German soldier just yesterday! Oh! If it's true! What about the children!?" At this point we had nearly a crowd of twenty people._

_I nodded my head and looked out to everyone. "We should get everyone out of here as quickly as possible! We have to at least protect the children!"_

_"RIGHT!" Everyone dispersed and grabbed their children as they ran off in their different directions._

_"Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be." I breathed out a sigh of relief. "They'll spread the rumor themselves to their loved ones."_

_"That's very fortunate. Thank you for warning us erm..."_

_'Why not? She'll keep it a secret. I can tell.' I smiled at her and slid my hands into my pockets. "I can only tell you my name if you swear on everything you hold dear that you won't breath my name to anyone else, not even God. God knows I'm here. God knows everything, but I'm meant to keep it a secret. So, do you promise not even to tell God? No one. Understand?"_

_"You're a mysterious one, but yes, I promise." She held her hand out to me while the other clutched her bible close to her._

_I shook her hand with a wide smile and nodded my head. "My name's Raphael."_

_Her eyes widened a great deal and her hand dropped from our hand shake as she brought it to her mouth. "A-Archangel Raph-" I covered her mouth again and nodded my head._

_"Yes, that's me, but you can call me Crowley."_

_She dropped her hand and shook her head, shaking my hand off her mouth. "I most certainly will not."_

_"Pardon?" I blinked at her in shock, not that she could see it past my glasses._

_"You need a good and proper name."_

_"I do? I've always gone by one or the other. Well, more so Crowley, but..."_

_"You need a first name if you want to blend in. Crowley can be your last name. You need a first name and...perhaps a middle initial. Hmm...what about...Orion?"_

_"No." I snorted out. "Eric?" We both shuddered at the name. "Definitely not." I laughed out._

_"You need an intelligent name. One that fits you, but doesn't at the same time."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"Well, you're a...well...you know...and you're meant to be hiding and keeping a huge secret. If you ever need to live somewhere or pay for anything or the like...you should have a good and proper name. One that fits you just by looking at you, but if someone were to personally know you...they would have to get used to the name."_

_"Right...um...James?"_

_"No, too sophisticated for you." She chuckled lightly._

_"Gee! Thanks!" I let out an honest laugh. "Ralph?"_

_"Oh! Heavens NO!" She bellowed out her laugh, clutching her bible tightly as she bent over laughing. "That's awful!"_

_"You're right! Hmm...what about...William?"_

_"No." She deadpanned with a risen brow._

_"Edward?"_

_"Absolutely not." She brought a hand to her chin and started circling me. "What about...Anthony? It's a name that sounds intelligent, cunning, curious, mysterious, while still being kind."_

_"Hmm...Anthony...I like it." I nodded my head. "Now, you did say something about a middle initial. That should have just as much special meaning I think."_

_"You're right. Well...OH! I know! What was your wife's first initial?" She beamed up at me with pure delight and remembering Juliana left a warm feeling in my chest. If I had her first initial as my middle one...it would be like I'm always carrying her with me._

_"Sounds perfect." I breathed out with an appreciative smile. "Anthony J. Crowley."_

_"What a beautiful, mysterious, and intelligent name. I'm glad I could help!"_

_"Thank you. This means more than you can imagine."_

_"I'm sure. Can I ask you something? Was your wife also an..."_

_"No." I smiled at her. "She was human. She lived to be eighty-five. We had a good life. No kids, but we had a good life. Went to a few of Shakespeare's plays."_

_"I...O-Oh my g-goodness! That long ago?"_

_"Yes." I nodded my head with a slight chuckle. "Now, I really shouldn't talk about this anymore, but thank you for suggesting my middle name be her first initial. Now I'll always have her."_

_"That's so beautiful." She had a singular tear go down her cheek and I wiped it away._

_"Yes it is. Thank you. Now, I have to be off. I'm sorry."_

_"That's fine. You have important things to do I'm sure."_

_"That I do, unfortunately. Oh! I almost forgot! What's your name?"_

_"Juliana." She grinned while I staggered back slightly before sagging slightly with a quivering smile. "Oh my goodness! Are you alright?"_

_"Y-Yeah. That was her name. My wife's name. Her name was Juliana. She helped me in a similar way that you did just now, long ago. It's how we met."_

_"Huh...well...I believe reincarnation is a thing. Maybe this was fate as well. Part of God's plan. Maybe he wanted you to be happy."_

_"Are you suggesting you're her...reincarnated?"_

_"Roughly, I suppose. I have strange dreams."_

_"Dreams are important." I muttered. "How often do your dreams happen?"_

_"Very. They're around the same era as Shakespeare and...well...someone that looks like you, but with longer hair and a strange beard...a goatee I think."_

_I covered a hand to my mouth as tears, honest, joyful tears fell down from my face. "C-Can you let me do something? I...well...it was an OLD trick I was taught by another angel. He's someone I consider to be as close as a brother. He found it out by helping a sick boy and it turned out the sick boy was the reincarnation of one of his favorite Authors...could I...try that on you? To see if you're right?"_

_"And if I am?" She wondered curiously, and the more I looked at her, the more she really looked like Juliana. Except her clothes were vastly different and her hair was shorter. Barely touching her shoulders, but her hair and eye color was the same. Maple brown hair and emerald green eyes._

_"W-Well...then...I would like to get to know you...if th-that's alright? I...oh...I sound like a fool and it's ridiculous and a horrible thing to ask and OH! I never could think straight after that first play me and her saw together."_

_She giggled lightly and it was the same giggle. "I would like that, but I'll have to be somewhere safe in order for us to do that."_

_"Well...there's my brother's book shop."_

_"Is your brother also an angel?"_

_"Yes, he is. However, truth be told...he thinks I'm fully a demon. Literally. And I need it to stay that way. Could you please keep the angel part between us?"_

_"Sure! I don't mind. It's not everyday you meet someone like...well...you...and you may or may not be his reincarnated wife."_

_"Right...this day just keeps getting stranger." I laughed out. "Alright...let's go back behind the church where no one will see. It won't ruin your decency I promise."_

_"Thank you."_

_We went behind the church and I hovered my hand over her chest and closed my eyes. There was a brief white and green glow that I could see through my eye lids and then I saw every memory Juliana and I shared as well as some of her childhood. I calmed myself before ending the spell or whatever I was doing to this woman, and I fell on my ass in shock. "Y-You're her. You really are her reincarnation." I brought a shaking hand up to my mouth as I looked up at her and I let out a hysterically joyful laugh. "I can't believe it...but...it's true. Oh...wait...are you married?"_

_"No. I have no family. It's just me." She held out her hand to me with a bright smile, and I took it, allowing her to help me stand back up._

_"How um...how old are you?"_

_"I'll be thirty this year."_

_"Huh." I smiled. "OH! Right! Let's um...let's get you to my brother's place. His sign said he would be out for a week, so you should be safe there. I'll go looking for him when the bombs are supposed to drop here. I'm afraid he may have gotten himself into trouble again."_

_"An angel...getting into trouble?" She snorted out a laugh._

_"Happens to him more often than anyone I know!" I groaned as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "S-So...um...w-would it still be a-alright if I get to know you?"_

_"Considering you're so intriguing and I just so happen to be the reincarnation of your old love...I really don't see why not."_

_"Th-Thank you. Um...this way." I allowed her to follow me to the Bentley and I opened the passenger door for her before getting into my side._

_"So polite." She chuckled as she got in. "So...there has to be a reason your brother thinks you're a demon."_

_"Ah...right..." I turned to look at her and slowly took my glasses off, earning a smile from her. "Huh, snake eyes. So, I'm going to guess that you were the serpent in Eden?"_

_"And...you're not at all bothered by it?"_

_"I'm even more intrigued."_

_"Right." I smiled and nearly cried again at her words. I started the car and made my way towards Aziraphale's book shop. "Well, yes, I was, and technically...I'm half a demon and half well..."_

_"Oh! So that's why you didn't want me saying what you are. That makes much more sense now."_

_"I'm glad you think so. I didn't actually explain the angel bit to Juliana last time. She accepted me being a demon the day we met."_

_"Huh...weird..."_

_"What is?"_

_"I'm getting jealous of my past life, but also...I feel a bit of pride that I know something she didn't."_

_"Whoo!" I laughed out. "Pride AND Envy...yikes. Not much of a Christian."_

_"I am, thank you very much." She grinned at me as she held her bible gently in her lap. "No one's perfect. We all fall short."_

_"Ain't that the truth." I smirked lightly._

_The memory shifted to me walking into the church to save Aziraphale. I've gotten a lot done since then to build up a reputation and to keep the demons off my back. Lots of temptation and unfortunately stealing. However, as I walked into the church, it was an even starker and BETTER reminder that I was only HALF demon and HALF angel. "Sorry, consecrated ground. Oh! It's like...being at the beach in bare feet!" My feet were stinging and burning and the analogy was the only and most accurate thing I could compare it to. If it was any other demon, they would've bursted into flames IMMEDIATELY._

_"What are you doing here!?" Aziraphale questioned with an irritated look._

_"Stopping you getting into trouble!"_

_"I should've known! Of course! These people are working for you!"_

_'Why do you always have to jump to conclusions!?' I shook my head in slight disbelief. "No! They're a bunch of half-witted Nazi spies blackmailing and murdering people! I just didn't want to see YOU embarrassed!" _

_"Mr. Anthony J. Crowley...your fame proceeds you." The larger one said with a hint of disdain._

_"Anthony?" He asked me with a questioning look of 'Really?'_

_"You don't like it?"_

_"No, no. I didn't say that. I'll get used to it."_

_I couldn't help the brief smile that appeared on my face. 'Looks like Juliana was right about the name.'_

_"The famous Mr. Crowley..." The woman holding the gun breathed out in what I assumed was awe for some reason. "...It's such a pity you must both die."_

_"What does the 'J' stand for?" Aziraphale asked with curiosity in his eyes._

_"It's just a 'J', really." I answered. 'Even though it's more than that, but I can't tell you, and it hurts a bit like the consecrated ground beneath my feet!' I looked at the three people in front of us and took in a deep breath, but then I noticed something at the front of the church. "Look at that! A whole fontful of holy water! It doesn't even have GUARDS!"_

_"Enough babbling. Kill them both." I heard one of them say, and it reminded me why I was there._

_"In about a minute, a German bomber will release a bomb that will land right here. If you all run away very very fast, you might not die. You won't enjoy dying. Definitely won't enjoy what comes after."_

_"You expect us to believe that?" The larger one asked while the woman seemed to actually take into account my words, but she didn't say anything. "The bombs tonight will fall on the East End."_

_"Yes. It will take a last-minute demonic intervention to throw them off course. Yes. You're all wasting your valuable running away time!" At my words I remembered the fact that we could both be discorporated by something like that if we didn't protect ourselves. "And if, in thirty seconds a bomb DOES land here, it would take a REAL miracle for my friend and I to SURVIVE IT."_

_"A-A real miracle." I could HEAR the agitation and annoyance in his tone._

_"Kill them. They are very irritating." The skinny one groaned out with a strange sort of 'meh' tone._

_I lifted my hands up to get them to listen to the whistle of the bomb falling down towards us. I felt the heavenly invisible force field that Aziraphale placed around both of us, as the bomb destroyed the church. I cleaned off my glasses and looked up at him as he spoke and lowered his hat. "That was very kind of you."_

_"Shut up!" I told him as I placed my glasses back on my face._

_"Well, it was. No paperwork for a start." A look of realization appeared on him, and I knew what he forgot, but thankfully I didn't. Just in case. "Oh! The books! I forgot all the books! Oh, they'll all be blown to-"_

_He stopped talking immediately as I grabbed the bag that I put my own heavenly force field around, and I handed it to him. "There's a little demonic miracle of my own. Lift home?"_

_When we got into the car he stared at me. "Crowley?"_

_"Yes?" I asked him as I started the car. _

_"How did you do that?"_

_"I told you. A demonic miracle. I can protect things too. Oh um...speaking of...protecting...I have a friend at your place right now."_

_"WHAT!? A DEMON IN MY BOOKSHOP! CROWLEY ARE YOU OUTSIDE YOUR MIND!?"_

_"NOT a demon. A HUMAN! She's...a friend."_

_"C-Crowley...there's...you're...in love?"_

_"I'm a demon. We don't feel as you so often like to tell me."_

_"Y-Yes, but...it's c-certainly there. I can...sense it. She's...more than a friend...isn't she?"_

_I rolled my eyes as I almost took a wrong turn, because of the conversation. "If she is?"_

_"W-Well...that...would...be impossible. GREAT, but...impossible."_

_"Aziraphale, we're an angel and a demon having a polite conversation about my, a demon's, love life. Not only that, but we've been friends or at the very least civilized acquaintances since the Garden of bloody Eden! I think we've crossed the threshold of what's possible and impossible for BOTH our kinds."_

_"B-But...how!?"_

_"That's...a bit of a long story. One I don't want to talk about. Aziraphale...feel the air again...tell me what you feel."_

_He seemed to do as I said, because he gawked at me with a completely dropped jaw. "C-Crowley..." He whispered out, barely loud enough for me to hear him. _

_"Yeah, and the safest place I could think of for her...was your bookshop. You'd like her."_

_"Oh? Why is that?"_

_"She's a Christian. Reads the bible and everything."_

_"WHAT THE HELL!?"_

_At Aziraphale cussing I slammed on the brakes and now it was my turn to gawk. "D-Did you just...!?"_

_"A Christian!? Really Crowley!? I mean...it's one thing for you to fall for a human...it's another entirely for it to be a Christian of all people! Y-You...I mean..."_

_"Yikes...looks I dropped a bomb on you more than the church." _

_"YOU THINK!? I just...oh...Crowley...my dear friend...I'm rather...well...I'm shocked beyond words."_

_"Yeah!" I laughed out, tipping my head back to allow the full laugh escape from my lungs and out my mouth. "I gathered that when you shouted at me 'What the hell!?' Does it really bother you that much?"_

_"Y-Yes in a way, I suppose. It's just...it kind of flips my understanding of demons..."_

_"No, it flips your understanding of me. Trust me, Angel, I'm one of a kind. Even the other demons think me strange and different. Please...don't tell anyone about this."_

_"My goodness...you must think the world of her."_

_"HA! Try the other way around!" I grinned as I started the car up again. "I love her, Aziraphale. I'll admit it out in the open vocally just this once, but she's shown to love me more than I can give."_

_"How long ago did the two of you meet?" He asked with an awed tone in his voice._

_"Erm...well...if you want to get technical...do you remember the woman's grave I visited long ago...the one that I tempted to me?"_

_"Yes...I remember that clearly." He suddenly stared at me with wide eyes. "Is she...is she the reincarnation of that woman?"_

_"Yes, I checked."_

_"B-But to do that...she would have to know what you are!"_

_"She does." I smiled._

_"A-And...she's not afraid? I mean...not even a little? She's not afraid of what will happen to her after she dies?"_

_"We talked about that, and no...she's not."_

_"My goodness, Crowley. A-Alright. I won't speak a word of it to anyone."_

_"Thank you. I appreciate that." Once we arrived at his bookshop, we both got out of the car and walked in. There, she was waiting in a chair reading her bible. "Juliana?" I asked and she looked up with a bright smile._

_"Anthony! Oh! This must be your brother."_

_"B-Brother?" He whispered out in a stunned tone._

_"Well...close as." I muttered and she got up from her chair to come meet him._

_"Hi, I'm Juliana." She greeted him with a polite smile and her hand outstretched._

_He took it with a polite smile of his own. "My name's Ezra Fell."_

_"Well at least one of you had the common sense to come up with a first and last name."_

_"Okay...now that was uncalled for!" I couldn't help but laugh freely around her, which earned an even further shocked expression from Aziraphale._

_"I don't think so. I think it was perfectly called for! Did he tell you one of the names he suggested?"_

_"No." Aziraphale shook his head with a curious expression as he set the bag of books down on the counter. _

_"Ralph!"_

_"Oh! Really, Crowley! That really is quite awful!" A laugh escaped his lips and I couldn't help but smile at the both of them. He then turned to face Juliana with a kind smile. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Juliana. Read any of the books you want."_

_"Thank you! I've read a few already."_

_"Oh? Do you have a favorite Author?" He questioned as he began to put away the books from the bag._

_"Yes, actually. Oscar Wilde."_

_For the first time in my life, I watched with dumbfounded shock as Aziraphale DROPPED books completely to the floor in a state of shock. "Repeat that, my dear?"_

_"I said Oscar Wilde."_

_I watched Aziraphale turn to look at me, and my eyes went incredibly wide as I saw the most mischievous smile creep upon his features. "Is that so?" He asked. "Crowley, you may want to hold tight to her. A christian that knows what we BOTH are apparently, AND a fan of Oscar Wilde."_

_"She can also make crepes." I stated proudly, realizing that Juliana this time around wasn't just perfect for me, but for Aziraphale as well, and I already knew how much she loved me and I have faith in it._

_I watched with immense amusement as Aziraphale walked back over to her and gently grabbed her hand to kiss the back of it. "My dear, could I perhaps change your mind on your choice of...well...men wouldn't be the right word...supernatural being?"_

_She chuckled warmly and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. Though, I'm flattered."_

_"Aziraphale, did you just try and...tempt...my woman?"_

_"Well..." He gave a mischievous smile and a light shrug as he released her hand. "...we've proven that angels can tempt humans too."_

_"Who knew you had it in you!?" I laughed out._

_The memory shifted and once again I was standing over Juliana's grave, just in a different place. "Crowley?" Aziraphale questioned carefully. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. "Come on...let's go back to the bookshop." I nodded my head and I followed him all the way there, waving a hand to miracle the Bentley just outside it, not caring if anyone wondered how it got there at two in the morning._

_Once we were inside I sat on the couch and allowed my tears to fall, and just like last time, but thankfully in a more private setting, Aziraphale wrapped his arms and wings around me in a tight hug. "I loved her too, Crowley."_

_"I know..." I sobbed out as I wrapped my arms around his back. "I know...you loved her...like I did. You've told...me so. You were scared...I was going to be mad, but...I wasn't...and I'm not...I'm just...sad...and you're hurting too...and..."_

_"Crowley, she lived a good life."_

_"Not long enough of one! Not NEARLY long enough! She...she died at forty-two, Aziraphale! Not long enough..." I released the hug and I tilted my head at him with a saddened smile, and I quickly wiped away all of my tears and miracled his tears away as well as the redness in his eyes. "...Aziraphale...could you put your wings back in?"_

_He gave me a confused look, but nodded his head and did as I asked. "What's wrong, Crowley? Aside from the obvious."_

_"Nothing. Soon, it'll be nothing." I quickly reached up to his head and erased his memories of Juliana from this time as well, and made it to where she was merely someone who frequented his book shop. "I can't have you hurting as much as me. Heaven and Hell...won't allow it. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." Once I finished altering his memory, I fell back onto the couch, utterly spent._

_"Crowley?" He asked me, his voice much more even as I laid on my back on the couch. "Are you quite alright?"_

_"Just...tired. That's all, Aziraphale. I'm tired and...my heart hurts, but it's nothing for you to worry about."_

_"Your heart hurts? I should think that's something I would most certainly need to worry about!"_

_"Don't worry, please. You should, I know you should. You have every right too, believe me, but don't. This is something I have to deal with on my own."_

Gabriel paused the memory and I instantly felt a punch in my shoulder. "OW! I know I deserved it, but damn! That hurt!"

"As well it should! Tell me the truth, Crowley! How many times have you done that to me!?"

"Only those two times. I swear it, and considering I'm still under truth serum, you have to believe me. Those were the only two times!"

"Why take _my_ memories of loving her away!?"

"Because..." Michael started with a remorseful tone as she turned to face Aziraphale. "...if Heaven found out that you had fallen in love with a human...Heaven would've felled you and sent you to Hell."

"She's right." I nodded my head. "That's why."

"S-So..." He trailed off with a broken voice. "...you suffered all this time...to protect me?"

I nodded my head, giving him a weak smile. "Yes, I have. It's gotten better through the years, but yes." I turned to face them and practically glared at Sandalphon. "Keep in mind that I'm still half of an Archangel. If ANY of you fault Aziraphale for this, you will be FORCED to face me. Aziraphale WILL NOT FALL! I won't allow it!"

"You're in no position to-" Michael, Uriel, and Gabriel stood in front of Sandalphon facing him, and I could feel the energy of sympathy that they used to have long ago. It seems that going through my memories is bringing some of theirs back from when they were kinder, gentler, and wiser. The Archangels that I knew from before. "Wh-What?" Sandalphon stuttered out.

"We're here to REDEEM the Archangel Raphael." Uriel stated calmly. "If he DOES succeed in redemption he is granted three wishes. It was deemed so by God to mark the incredible unlikely and special occasion of one of the fallen repenting and passing ALL of the tests."

Gabriel turned to face me and gave me an apologetic smile. "Raphael...is one of your wishes that Aziraphale not fall?"

"Yes. My other wish is that he not be harmed by ANY angel. I can deal with Hell on my own if I have to, but my second is that Aziraphale not be harmed, harassed, or attacked in any way by ANY angel."

"And your third?" Michael questioned with curiosity in her tone.

"I...haven't decided yet."

"Crowley! You can't waste three wishes on ME!"

"It's not a waste, Angel, and I will use my wishes however I want. They're MY wishes."

"Sandalphon." Gabriel started with a warning in his tone, but you would have to have known him as long as I and the other original three have to know there's a warning. "He is here to be redeemed. If he doesn't pass...then he doesn't pass and everything stays the same, but Michael and I have already given our word that no harm will come to Aziraphale. Now, if he DOES pass...that means God's seen fit to redeem him and if you go against Raphael's three wishes...you're going against God...and you WILL fall by her hand."

"Fine!" He spat out, and I was beginning to wonder where that good heart, that Gabriel talked about, was.

I placed my hands on Aziraphale's head and gave him all of the memories of the most recent Juliana, and I watched as tears fell down his face and he nodded his head at me as a silent thank you. I turned to Gabriel and he gave a nod of his head before he continued the new memory, and I knew this one was going to be brief.

_After speaking to the three people I would be sending in to get the holy water and after the conversation with the witch finder, I got into my car and felt a presence in my car. It was holy. I looked over and there's Aziraphale, and for some reason he looks like we both did when Juliana from the forties died, but he couldn't possibly remember that. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I need to have a word with you."_

_"What?"_

_"I work in Soho, I hear things. I hear that you're setting up a...caper. To rob a church. Crowley it's dangerous! Holy water won't just kill your body! It will destroy you!"_

_"You told me what you think, a hundred and five years ago!"_

_"And I still haven't changed my mind! But I can't have you risking your life! Not even for something dangerous. So..." I looked over at him and I saw him pull out a thermos. "...you can call off the robbery. Don't go unscrewing the cap."_

_I took it from him carefully and I could hear the liquid inside. "It's the real thing?"_

_"The holiest."_

_"After everything you said." He nodded his head and I could see the fear and heartbreak in his eyes. He still thought that I was going to use it to kill myself._

I took the moment to look over at Aziraphale viewing the memories and the dread had only increased that much now that he knew everything that I lost. Not wanting to say anything, I looked back at the memory as it continued on.

_ "Should I say thank you?" _

_"Better not." After that, I offered to take him anywhere he wanted to go and although he seemed actually happy at the offer, the rest of his emotions were just as present. "You move too fast for me, Crowley." I pouted at him and he suggested a picnic or to dine at the Ritz and then he was gone._


	9. Chapter 9

_When the memory settled, Aziraphale and I were getting out of the car, heading to the place where the Antichrist was delivered and switched. "Um..." Aziraphale started with a confused and slightly concerned look on his face. "...are you sure this is the right place? This...this doesn't look like a hospital and..." With a shuddering breath, he tapped my arm hard, which he never usually did, so that caught my attention immediately. "...it feels loved." _

_I looked around and 'Felt' the place, and he was right. 'Huh...so it does, but it's not like I can say that to his face.' I continued to look around a bit as I replied with, "No, it's definitely the place. What do you mean loved?" I questioned just to see if he felt what I felt from the area._

_"Well, I mean the opposite of when you say, 'I don't like this place, it feels spooky.'"_

_"I don't EVER say that. I like spooky. Big spooky fan, me. Let's go talk to some nuns." As we continued to walk, I groaned in my own mind. 'Ugh! Really? Could you be any more obvious that you don't actually like SPOOKY? Ugh! Well, at least he doesn't seem to notice.' As we were walking we were both shot with something, causing both of us to reel back. "AH! WHOA!" I brought my hand to the 'wound' and watched Aziraphale do the same._

_"Blue?" I heard him ask with a tone of agitation and disgust, but more so agitation._

_"Huh...it's paint." I looked at the red liquid on my hands and I couldn't help but think of the irony. Aziraphale getting hit with blue paint, and he being from heaven, and me getting hit with red paint and I'm from Hell._

_Next to us we soon heard someone approaching us. "Hey! You've both been hit! I don't know what you think you're playing at..."_

_'That's quite enough talking.' I allowed my demonic snake side to come through and I growled at him. 'I've only had to do that with a few humans in six thousand years. Didn't expect to have to do it now, but we don't have much time.' With mild amusement I watched as the human fainted. I couldn't help it. Half demon and all. "Well that was fun!"_

_"Well, yes, fun for you! Look at the state of this coat!" I turned to look at what he meant and there was a blue paint spot on the back. "I've kept this in tip-top condition for over a hundred and eighty years now." I started circling around him to check to see if there was any other signs of paint. "I'll never get this stain out."_

_"You could miracle it away."_

_"Hmm...yes, but...Well, I would always know the stain was there. Underneath...I mean." He turned his shoulder to me, and it took all I had not to smile._

_'He wants me to get rid of the stain. Alright then.' I chuckled in my head as I couldn't help but think how slightly childish it seemed. I leaned over and blew a loud, steady, and miracle laced breath of air, vanishing both of our paint stains._

_"Oh, thank you!" I tilted my head acknowledging his thank you, and I watched as he picked up one of the pain guns. "I've looked at this gun."_

_'Have you now?' I smirked in my own mind, trying not to let it show._

_"It's not a proper one at all."_

_'NO! You don't SAY!' It was getting really difficult to hid my amusement so I just stuck to head nods and head tilts, as well as an occasional sound here and there._

_"It just shoots paintballs."_

_'Now you're getting it, Aziraphale!' I took the gun from him and pointed it at him, causing him to instantly put his hands up. "Don't your lot disapprove of guns?"_

_"Unless they're in the right hands."_

_'What?'_

_"Then they give weight to a moral argument...I think."_

_'Oh, you have got to be kidding me!' I couldn't help the amusement this time. 'Had Heaven changed that much?' I looked him in the eyes as much as I was able with a large grin on my face. "A moral argument, really?" I tossed the gun and started to walk away. "Come on." I had to try and suppress the look of amusement on my face as we continued forward. Once we were inside, I looked around and as we walked down one of the corridors, I could remember it all clearly. "This is definitely the place." The further down we went, I realized it looked more business-y and less...Satanic church-y. "Wonder where the nuns went."_

_Soon, there was a woman rushing towards us wearing camouflage clothing. "AH! Millie from accounts caught me on the elbow! Who's winning?"_

_"You're all going to lose." I snapped my fingers and pointed at her. She then ran out of the building. Soon, gunfire was heard, and I could practically feel Aziraphale's glare on me._

_"Wh-What the HELL did you just do!?"_

_'REALLY NOW, ANGEL!? The language!' I once again couldn't stop the amusement on my face, because it was rare that he spoke like that in such a way, and it was becoming more frequent. 'End times, indeed.' I looked at him and then glanced at the wall before answering, "Well, they wanted real guns, so I gave them what they wanted." I continued to walk forward while thinking, 'BUT if they hit each other with it, it'll just hurt a bit worse than the paintball. Nothing will happen to them.'_

_"There are people out there...SHOOTING at each other!"_

_"Well, it lands weight to their moral argument" I silently added, 'That you mentioned Heaven had in the opinion of guns.' I kicked down a door just for the hell of it AND to see if anyone was behind it. "Everyone has free will, including the right to murder. Just think of it as a microcosm of the universe." _

_"They're MURDERING each other!?"_

_'Oh FINE!' I groaned in my mind, but the groan left my voice as I replied, "No, they aren't! No one's killing anyone. They're all having miraculous escapes. Wouldn't be any fun otherwise."_

_"You know Crowley..." He started as he stepped slightly closer towards me. "...I've always said...that deep down, you really are quite a nice-"_

_'NO! You're NOT going to say that to me! Not after I've taken your memories! Not after the people I've hurt! And not after all the times I've wronged you! I'm a demon!' I quickly pushed him against the wall, hard, as my thoughts raced. "SHUT IT! I'm a DEMON! I'm not NICE! I'm never nice! Nice is a four letter word! I will not have-"_

_"Excuse me gentleman?"_

_'What?' I so eloquently thought I was suddenly brought out of my tirade._

_"Sorry to break up an intimate moment. Can I help you?"_

_'INTIMATE!? WITH HIM!? He's my brother, and he just dared to call me nice! Wait a moment...she looks familiar.' I looked closer at her face, and I instantly recognized her as the nun I handed the Antichrist to. "You." I breathed out in nearly a whisper._

_"Saints and demons preserve us! It's Master Crowley!"_

_'Oh, I do hate that title!' I snapped my fingers and stopped time, walking closer to her._

_"You didn't have to do that!" I heard Aziraphale chastise as he readjusted his clothes. "You could've just asked her!"_

_'I could've WHAT now!?' I nearly gaped at him in disbelief, but I knew I heard what he said, loud and clear. "Oh...wh-...oh!" I couldn't stop stammering, because really! This was a human and we are TWO VERY NOT human beings! "...Of course! Of course! No! Yeah! Excuse me ma'am! We're two supernatural entities just looking for the notorious son of Satan! Wonder if you might help us without INQUIRIES!"_

_The look Aziraphale shot me was a look of exasperation and annoyance, and I had only seen it a handful of times. We both walked closer to her and he let out a sigh before speaking. "Um...ahem...look...hello...You weren't by any chance a NUN at this convent eleven years ago were you?"_

_"I was."_

_I glanced over at Aziraphale and the look he gave me was eerily similar to a look I might give HIM, and the tone of voice he used when he DID speak again, was NOT a tone I was used to coming from HIM. "Luck of the devil."_

_At the sound of his tone, I couldn't help but take a double take at him before finally looking back at the woman. "What happened to the baby I gave you?"_

_"I swapped him with the son of the American ambassador. Such a nice man. He used to be ambassador to Swindon."_

_At that, Aziraphale and I both looked at each other with more than likely the same thought. 'SWINDON!? HOW!? How could you NOT know!?' But neither of us voiced it, and she continued._

_"Then, Sister Theresa Garrulous came and took the other baby away."_

_"This...American ambassador...what was his name? Where did he come from, and what did he DO with the baby!?" I questioned, growing impatient._

_"I don't know."_

_"Records! There must've been records!"_

_'Great thinking, Aziraphale! At least ONE of us has the patience for this woman!'_

_"YES! There were LOTS of records. We were very good at keeping records."_

_"Well, where are they?"_

_"Burned in the fire." When she said that, I watched as the memory danced in her eyes quite vividly and I saw someone that makes my skin crawl more than ANYONE!_

_I growled in irritation as my skin began to crawl again at the sound of his laughter in my ears, despite him not being with us! "HASTUR!"_

_"Well, is there anything you remember about the baby?"_

_"He had lovely little toesie-woesies."_

_I looked at Aziraphale and groaned silently as the look of, 'Awe isn't that sweet!' Appeared on his face. "Let's go." I immediately walked away, feeling like I had just wasted my time and then I heard Aziraphale speak behind me._

_"You were awake, having had a lovely dream of whatever you like best."_

_"Oi!" I called out, and he snapped his fingers, reversing my affects and placing his own._

_The memory blinked and it was dark and we were in the Bentley. "There's a peculiar feeling to this whole area. I'm astonished you can't feel it."_

_'I can feel it. However, I can't feel it as much as YOU do, because you're a full angel.' However, I couldn't say that, because that would make matters MUCH worse at the moment. So I settled for, "I don't feel anything out of the ordinary."_

_"But it's everywhere! All over here!" It took him a moment, and then he had a look of realization. "Love! Flashes of Love!"_

_"You're being ridiculous." I told him while silently adding, 'There's not FLASHES! It's literally everywhere like a thick fog. Maybe I DO feel it a bit more than you...strange...' I decided to continue on a rant that I didn't know where it was going to go, "The last thing we need right now is-" Something thudded against my car and flew over the hood. 'And...something just hit my Bentley!'_

_"You hit someone."_

_"I didn't." I quickly stated as I looked at him. "Someone hit me."_

_We both got out of the car quickly and I watched as he looked around and then we both heard a woman in pain. "Let there be light!" He snapped his fingers and a large ball of pure white light appeared above us._

_"How the Hell did you do that?" The woman questioned with a pained voice._

_'By showing off, that's how.' I snapped my fingers and turned it off._

The memory shifted to us meeting under the bandstand, and I already knew I wasn't going to like the memory of it, nor would Aziraphale once he would hear my thoughts.

_"Well? Any news?"_

_"Um..."_

_"What...what kind of news would that be?"_

_'Whatever he's going to say after me...is going to be a lie...I can feel it coming off of him.' I tried to relax the tension from my body that came from the anxious feeling that was radiating off of Aziraphale at the moment. "Well, have you found the missing Antichrist's name, address, and shoe size yet?"_

_"His shoe size? Why would I have his shoe size."_

_'He deflected answering...Oh, Aziraphale...why?' Instead of letting him know I caught him in a lie I leaned forward slightly and shook my head. "It's a joke. I've got nothing either."_

_"It's the Great plan, Crowley."_

_'YEAH! And the Great plan will likely cause me to lose my best friend!' The thought came as fast as the wind and left just as quickly as I voiced the thought...slightly. "Yeah, for the record...GREAT PUSTULENT MANGLED BULLOCKS TO THE GREAT BLASTED PLAN!"_

_"May you be forgiven..." He requested with a quieter voice._

_'Impossible for me! I'm a DEMON, Aziraphale!' I glared at him and told him as much. "I won't be forgiven. Not ever! Part of a demon's job description! Unforgivable! That's what I am!" _

_"You were an angel once."_

_"That was a long time ago." I shook my head at him. 'Half Archangel or no...I'm not worth being an angel anymore. I've done too much, and now...the world could be ending and I've put my best friend at risk...which is something I SWORE I wouldn't do! I might as well be a full demon at this rate!' That thought also left as quickly as it came and I decided to ignore it all together for good measure as I walked closer to Aziraphale. "We find the boy. My agents can do it."_

_"And then WHAT!? We eliminate him?"_

_"Someone DOES. I'm not personally up for killing kids."_

_"Well you're the Demon, I'm the nice one! I don't have to kill children!"_

_'HELLO!? THE ARK!' I quickly tried to stop him by saying, 'Uh-uh-uh...' But he interrupted me._

_"If YOU kill him then the world gets a reprieve and...Heaven doesn't have blood on its hands."_

_"Oh no! Blood on your hands! That's a bit holier-than-thou, isn't it!?" In my head I loudly added, 'Like the FUCKING ARK for example!? Or how about Jesus!? I'm about to lose my best friend! I don't have time for holier-than-thou!'_

_"Well I am a GREAT DEAL holier than thou! That's the whole point!"_

_"You should kill the boy yourself." I sneered. "Holi-ly."_

_"I am NOT..." He looked around to see if anyone was looking, I didn't know why it would matter, it's not like anyone usually paid attention to us anyway. "...killing anybody."_

_'Can't blame you.' I let out a breath through my nose before speaking. "This is ridiculous, YOU are ridiculous. I don't even know why I'm still talking to you."_

_"Well, frankly neither do I."_

_"Enough, I'm leaving." I walked away slightly agitated._

_"You can't leave, Crowley." At the brokenness in his voice I turned around to face him again. "There isn't anywhere to go."_

_"It's a big universe!" I quietly added, 'I should know! I helped create some of it!' I felt a pang in my heart that I couldn't add that, so I just simply continued, desperately. "Even if this all ends up in a puddle of burning goo, we can go off together!"_

_"Go off together? W-Listen to yourself..."_

_"How long have we been friends? Six THOUSAND years!"_

_"Friends? We're not friends!"_

_'No don't say that...' A broken voice in my mind cried out, not wanting to hear him say it._

_"We are an ANGEL an a DEMON! We have NOTHING whatsoever in common. I don't even like you!"_

_"You DO!" I shouted, hoping he would take back his words._

_"Even if I did know where the Antichrist is, I wouldn't tell you! We're on opposite SIDES!"_

_"We're on OUR side!"_

_"There is no 'OUR side,' Crowley! Not anymore! It's over!"_

_'What?' The voice in my head was significantly smaller than it was before. "Right...Well then...eh..." I walked away, my heart aching with six thousand years worth of pain. 'I-It's so easy for him to just...throw away SIX THOUSAND YEARS of friendship!? What did I do wrong? Did I hurt him? I mean...we've been friends for so long...or perhaps...he never considered me a friend in the first place...like back when we watched the actors rehearse Hamlet and he told them we weren't friends."_

The memory began to shift, but thankfully Gabriel stopped it, and I turned to look at Aziraphale, who had started crying at some point, because he had tear stains on the front of his outfit and on his sleeve. "Aziraphale?"

"H-How could you look at me again after that. After everything you've thought, done, and been through...and I just...HOW!?"

"Like this." I took my sunglasses off and looked directly at him, causing him to gasp in shock, because I RARELY ever took my sunglasses off even around him. "You're my Best Friend, Aziraphale. Wouldn't trade you for the world. Help you save it? Oh, YEAH! Any day! But if it was between being your friend and saving the world...I'd choose you. I actually did, come to think of it, but I'm sure we'll see that in my memories."

"I'm sorry, Crowley."

I snapped my fingers and miracled the tears off of his outfit and dried the ones on his face. "That's alright. I can't stay mad at you for long."

"But you weren't mad...you were heartbroken!"

"I've been heartbroken for a VERY long time, Angel."

"YES, but...I shouldn't have been a part of it!"

"No..." I shook my head at him as I turned to face him more. "...you shouldn't have, but you were, but now we're here, and...we're friends again, aren't we?"

"Of course we are!" He nodded his head with a brighter and calmer smile.

"Good. Gabriel?"

"Glad that's resolved." He muttered and waved the memory to continue.


	10. Chapter 10

_Once I made it back to my flat, I tried to push away the heartache and the pain, and I growled, "Where should I go?" I gently spun the globe on my desk and I raised my brow that was no longer blocked at all by my sunglasses. "England's out." I took the globe itself off of it's stand to look at it closer. "America's out." I hovered it between my hands, making it spin within my energy field. "Atlantis! Didn't exist yesterday. It exists today. Still out." I then sent the globe to float by itself in the middle of the air, and I could feel my demonic and angelic energy mingling with one another, but my angelic energy was working with my emotion, therefore, it was stronger, because of the heartache. _

_I grabbed a book called, 'The Extremely Big Book of Astronomy' and slammed it onto the desk, opening it up to the first page I thought of. "The Moon! No atmosphere. No nightlife." I used my energy to command all of the pages to be drawn out of the book without so much as a tear and they all floated around me. "Alpha Centauri! That's always nice this time of year." I walked over to a familiar looking Nebula and I plucked it out of the air. "BEAUTIFUL Nebula! I helped build that one." The heartache began to crush me as I remembered how I turned into a demon. It wasn't JUST the staircase. BOTH Lucifer and I had questions about the humans. I leaned on my throne, clutching it desperately. "I only ever asked questions! That's all it took to be a demon in the old days! Great Plan? God you listening? Show me a Great Plan!" When I didn't hear anything I inwardly sighed in exasperation. "Okay, I know, you're testing them. You said you were going to be testing them. You shouldn't test them to destruction!" I looked at the floating globe and anger bubbled in my chest as it mixed with the pain in my heart for not just Aziraphale's words, but for the whole world. "Not to the end of the world!" I growled low as I slapped the globe away from me._

_The memory shifted and at this point, I had been warned by the demons that they were coming for me, and I had apologized to Aziraphale, desperately trying to get him to come with me, but that didn't work. So, now I was moving about my flat, getting the materials I was going to need to do something NO Demon would do to another, but I guess it's a good thing I'm only half then. I quickly moved to the Mona Lisa painting and opened it, revealing my safe. I unlocked it and I took the thermos out that Aziraphale had given me._

"Crowley! No!" Aziraphale shouted at the memory.

"Just watch, Angel. I'm still here."

_As the memory continued it showed me VERY carefully pouring holy water into a red bucket and then the buzzer for my flat was heard. "CROWLEY!" I heard the door break down, so I quickly and carefully moved the bucket to the top of my door that I cracked open just enough to where they could see me. "CROWLEY!" Hastur called again, and I tried to ignore the slimy feeling I got from him saying my name._

_"We only want a little word with you!" Ligur shouted. _

_"We know you're in there!" Hastur taunted._

_"Crowley!" Although I could've sworn he said 'Crawley' instead._

_I set down my green plant mister and I sat on my throne and I saw them peering in the doorway. "In here, people!" I told them, and Ligur was the one that the bucket fell on. 'Now why couldn't it be Hastur!? Oh well...one Duke of Hell down...one to go...somehow.' I watched as the bucket fell on his head, melting his skin, his body, and the bucket as well, and I also heard Hastur's high pitched screaming._

_"Hi."_

_He continued to scream, genuinely terrified of what I had done, and more than likely with the fact I was so calm about it. "THAT'S...THAT'S...THAT'S HOLY WATER! I can't believe even A DEMON would...would...would...Holy Water! That's...That's...But he hadn't done NOTHING to you!"_

_"Yet!"_

_The memory shifted and it showed me arriving at Aziraphale's book shop with Queen's 'You're My Best Friend' playing in my car, and because of the amount of energy I was giving off, that humans and most demons and angels wouldn't be able to sense, it was playing on the record player inside. "Are you the owner of this establishment!?" A firefighter asked._

_"Do I look like I own a bookshop!?" I snapped my fingers to open and close the doors while panic and dread seeped into, not just my heart, but every fiber of my being. The bookshop was on fire! 'Aziraphale would NEVER let so much as a smudge appear on one of the books!' I ran through the bookshop, searching for any sign of him. "Aziraphale!" No answer. Not good. "Aziraphale! Where the Heaven are you, you idiot!? I can't find you!" I shouted to the ceiling. "Aziraphale! For God's...for Satan's...AH for SOMEBODY'S SAKE WHERE ARE YOU!?" As I was screaming at the top of my lungs, a firetruck hose started, and knocked me on my backside. "Oh..." I groaned out as the apparent realization dawned on me, and I began crying. "You've gone!" I whimpered out pathetically and brokenly. "Somebody's killed my best friend! You BASTARDS! All of you!" I looked down and saw a book I hadn't seen before. 'If this is the only thing to survive...I'll keep it...for him. He was more than my best friend. He was my brother...and I loved him.' At my thought, my energy caused the very broken and burned record player to play Queen's 'Somebody to Love'. I got up and commanded the doors to open. I stepped outside the building and took off my broken glasses. "I shouldn't litter should I. I mean I probably should litter. I'm a demon after all, but nobody's really keeping score anymore.." I got in my Bentley and it was playing where the song in Aziraphale's shop at left off. I drove off and as I grabbed a new pair of glasses, I kept having a horrible and painful thought, 'I couldn't protect him. I got him killed. Somehow...it's my fault. I swore I wouldn't put him at risk. The only person to SEE me in thousands of years. The only person I didn't have to wear a complete mask around. The only person that treated me with respect, kindness, and genuine friendship...at least I thought...NO! We WERE friends! He lied! We were friends! Either way...I couldn't protect him. I failed. I failed at being an angel. I failed at being a demon. I failed at being a brother.'_

_The memory blinked and I was in the bar, drowning my sorrows for however long the world was still standing for. "I never asked to be a demon. I was just minding my business one day and then...oh, lookie here! It's Lucifer and the guys! Oh, hey, the food hadn't been that great lately. I didn't have anything on the rest of that afternoon...next thing, I'm doing a million-light-year freestyle dive into a pool of boiling sulpher!" I let out a small whimper while thinking, 'There was a staircase...it merely just FELT like doing a freestyle dive the closer I got to Hell. I sauntered vaguely downwards.' Lightning flashed and thunder boomed outside, and right before my eyes, Aziraphale appeared. "Aziraphale..." I whispered out in disbelief and growing joy and hope. "Are you here?" I lifted my glasses up to get a better look at him, because he wasn't...solid._

_"Good question! Not certain. Never done this before. Can you hear me?"_

_"Of course I can hear you!" I allowed my sunglasses to fall back onto my nose as I stared at the ghostly version of Aziraphale._

_"Afraid I've rather made a mess of things. Did you go to Alpha Centauri?"_

_"Nah...changed my mind. Stuff happened. I lost my best friend."_

_"So sorry to hear it." I didn't notice it then, but I noticed it now that I was watching the memory. He was jealous. "Listen, back at my bookshop, there's a book I need you to get."_

_"Oh...look, your bookshop isn't there anymore."_

_"Oh?"_

_"I'm really sorry. It burned down."_

_"All of it?"_

_I started stammering, but I eventually found my voice. "Yeah. What...what was the book?"_

_"The one the young lady with the bicycle left behind. The nice and accurate prophecies of-"_

_"-AGNES NUTTER!" I quickly interrupted feeling a burst of joy rush through my drunken state. "Yes! I took it!"_

_"You have it!?"_

_"Look! Souvenir!"_

_"Look inside! I made notes. It's all in there. The boy's name, address. I worked it all out." _

_At that, the memory blinked and I had stopped my Bentley to look at the burning wall in front of all of the cars...including me and mine. I grabbed the book and I opened it. "Come on, there must be a way across it. Burning roads...did you predict this, Agnes?" I flipped back and forth through the pages and realized something was missing that was usually in books. "Why isn't there an index?" Suddenly, I felt someone grab for my glasses. I looked over and it was the slimy git Hastur, and he shattered my glasses, causing me to wince slightly._

_"You'll never escape London. Nothing can."_

_"Hastur! How was your time in voice mail?"_

_"Funny Ha-Ha joke all you like, Crowley. There's nowhere to run."  
_

_"Aren't you supposed to be lining up ready for battle around now?" I quickly tossed the book in the back before he could ask about it._

_"Hell will not forget. Hell will not forgive. You know where the REAL Antichrist is, don't you? You'll never reach him. You're done, Crowley."_

_'And you're getting REALLY annoying!' _

_"Think you're gonna get across that?" He pointed at the firewall. "There's nowhere to go." He repeated and it was getting on my nerves. _

_"Let's find out." I slipped in a 'Mozart' CD and started driving, instantly making Hastur nervous which made my day better already._

_"What? What? Why are you driving? That's...s-stop this thing!"_

_"You know the thing I like best about time, is that every day it takes us further away from the 14th century. I REALLY didn't like the 14th century! You'd have loved it then."_

_"Y-Yeah."_

_"They didn't have any cars back in the 14th century. Lovely, clever human people inventing cars, and motorways, and windscreen wipers. You got to hand it to them."_

_"Yeah AH!" He cried out when the thunder sounded. "Stop it! It's over! You're doomed! You hear me, Crowley!? You're doomed! Whatever happens. Doomed!"_

_"See? This day's already gotten better!" I drove my car straight into the flames._

_"Stop this! You'll discorporate us both!" I couldn't help but laugh a little maniacally, because I was finally getting under HIS skin for a change! "This is not funny!"_

_"Come on! If you've got to go, then go with style!"_

_As he discorporated in an explosion, I heard him scream out, "I hate you." And that made my mood even better!_

_"You are MY car! I've had you from NEW! You are NOT going to BURN! Don't even THINK of it!" I growled out focusing on the car and the flames dancing and engulfing around me and my precious car. 'This is fine! We're fine! The car and I are fine!' I repeated as I continued to focus my imagination despite the searing heat I could feel all around me. 'A ton of burning metal, rubber, and leather IS a functioning car! I am Crowley of Hell AND Raphael of Heaven! This will work! This is a fully functioning car! We will not BURN! I started this saving the world journey in my Bentley and I'll be DAMNED PERMANENTLY if I'm not going to finish it with it!' Soon, I was able to come out the other side and I waved at the car on the other side, my imagination working wonders as I didn't even feel the heat anymore._

_The memory shifted and we were at the airfield base when Gabriel and Beelzebub showed up. They both walked up to Adam and Gabriel looked a bit tired and frustrated. "Lord Beelzebub, what an honor." I gave a dramatic bow, but she was not amused in the slightest._

_"Crowley. The traitor."_

_'Shit.' I looked up and winced slightly. "That's not a nice word."_

_"All the other words I have for you are worse. Where's the boy."_

_I gave a heavy glance towards Adam and Gabriel followed it. "That one. Adam young. Hi. Young man...Armageddon must restart. Right now. A temporary inconvenience cannot stand in the way...of the greater good."_

_Beelzebub rolled her eyes briefly before speaking. "As to what it stands in the way of, that has yet to be decided, but the battle must be decided NOW, boy! That izzz..." She let out an irritated sigh before continuing once more. "...your destiny! It is written! Now start the WAR!"_

_"You both want to end the world...to see whose gang is best?" _

_"Obviously. It's the Great Plan." Gabriel laughed out slightly nervously from what I could tell. It's the entire reason for the creation of the Earth." As he said that, I noticed a mild calculative expression on Aziraphale that I didn't notice before, because I was too busy focusing on the calm child that was the opposite of what I thought the Antichrist would be._

_"I've got this!" Beelzebub exclaimed as she leaned down to meet Adam eye to eye. "Adam. When all this is over, you're going to get to rule the world. Don't you want to rule the world?"_

_"It's hard enough to think of things for Pepper and Wensley and Brian to do all the time so they don't get bored. I've got all the world I want."_

_"Well you can't just refuse to be who you are! You're birth! Your destiny! It's all part of the Great Plan!"_

_"Um..." I heard Aziraphale clear his throat as he moved to stand behind Adam._

_'Aziraphale! What are you doing!?'_

_"...Excuse me, um...you keep talking about the Great Plan..."_

_"Aziraphale, maybe you should just keep your mouth shut..."_

_But Aziraphale wouldn't let him finish and I felt a ball of pride form in my chest. "...One thing I'm not clear on. Is that the Ineffable Plan?"_

_"The Great Plan! It is WRITTEN! There shall be a world! It shall last for six thousand years and end in fire and flame!"_

_"Yes. Yes, that sounds like the Great Plan. Just wondering...is that the Ineffable plan as well?"_

_Suddenly I remembered a conversation Aziraphale and I had a long time ago. '__Ineffable...it basically means we don't know.' And he replied with, __'And can't possibly know.' My jaw dropped at what Aziraphale had remembered before me, and was using it against BOTH Heaven and Hell! _

_"Well, they're the same thing!" Gabriel said with a confident expression._

_"You don't know!" I whispered out and moved to stand next to Aziraphale and behind Adam. "Um...It'd be a pity if you thought you were doing what the Great Plan said, but you were ACTUALLY going directly against God's Ineffable Plan. I mean EVERYONE knows the Great Plan, yeah? But the Ineffable plan...is...well...it's Ineffable, isn't it? By definition, we can't know it."_

_"But it is...written."_

_'And now they're BOTH stumped! Good! I think?'_

_Gabriel then pointed his finger at both of us. "God does not play games with the Universe!"_

_"Where have you been!?" I spat out while thinking, 'Really, Gabriel? You're smarter than that, surely!'_

_Gabriel tapped Beelzebub on the shoulder, which was something I thought I would never see, and he pulled her off to the side and they had their little not-so-secret conversation about having to get their troops to stand down, and then Gabriel raised his voice as he glared at us. "Well at least we know whose FAULT it is!" Aziraphale waved, and I couldn't hide the look of smug amusement as I grinned at them. They then walked closer to Adam again and Gabriel continued, "Young man, you were put on this Earth for one reason and one reason ONLY. To END it! You're a disobedient little brat! And I HOPE someone tells your father."_

_'That's...not the Gabriel I know...'_

_"Oh they will..." Beelzebub started with a menacingly calm look in her eyes. "...And you father will not be pleazzzzed."_

_"Weren't they odd?" The woman Aziraphale had inhabited for a short time questioned._

_Suddenly I was being dragged down, BOTH my Archangel blood and my Demon blood WARRING and BOILING as I could feel Lucifer surfacing. My blood was ripping at my bones, licking like the fire from the hellish wall I drove through. Heavenly and Hellish blood was fighting for dominance in my body. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"_

_"What's happening?" Aziraphale asked with an immensely worried tone. "I can feel something." _

_"They did it. They told his father."_

_"Oh no."_

_"And his Satanic Father...is not happy." I tried to get up, but there was Earth Quake after Earth Quake and I could barely hear what Bicycle girl and the other guy were saying, but I DID hear Shadwell. _

_"What's happening!?"_

_Aziraphale answered, calmly trying to hide his worry and terror, "Well, you can call me an old Silly, but it looks like the Devil is coming. Satan himself."_

_After another Earth Quake I looked up at Aziraphale and felt my heart pounding. "Right. Well, that was that. It was nice knowing you."_

_"We can't give up now!" He pleaded at me and on any other day, I would be glad that he wanted me to keep trying, but this was not that day at the moment._

_"This is Satan himself! It isn't about Armageddon! This is personal! We are FUCKED!"_

_Another Earth Quake and I watched as Aziraphale grabbed his old flaming sword and rushed towards me. "Come up with something or..."_

_'Or what? You'll kill me?' I looked up at him with a worried and desperately pleading look in my eyes._

_"...or I'll never talk to again."_

_'That's far worse than me dying! That's ALMOST as bad as when I thought he was dead. I can't let that happen! Time to do something I never planned on doing and a place I never planned on going to ever again!' I growled out as I lifted my hands to the sky, stopping time and taking me, Aziraphale, and Adam into a small dimension that I created to think and take a break. It was a holy and divine place that ONLY I could access, because I created it. Once we were there, we were on soft sand, there was an ocean in the far distance, and there was beautiful clear blue sky. Because it was a divine and holy place, our wings were forced out and Aziraphale's sword had reignited. I heard Aziraphale let out a relieved sigh as he rolled his neck. Our wings could get very confining, and the divine energy in this place wasn't too bad for him either. It would help re-energize him a little. "Adam, listen, your father is coming to destroy you. Probably to destroy all of us."_

_"My dad? He wouldn't hurt anybody."_

_"Not your Earthly Father. Satan. Your Father who is no longer in Heaven. He is coming and he is ANGRY."_

_"So what do you want me to do about it? Fight him?"_

_I briefly looked at Aziraphale who in turn looked at me with the same conclusion. "I don't think fighting him would do any good. You're gonna have to come up with something else."_

_"But...I'm just a kid."_

_"But that's not a bad thing to be, Adam." Aziraphale told him, and he was completely right. "You know, I was scared you'd be Hell incarnate. I hoped you'd be Heaven incarnate. But you're not either of those things. You're much better. You're HUMAN incarnate." He looked up at me and I sent a silent thank you that he wouldn't hear not even watching the memory, because I blinked at him once to tell him thank you._

_"Adam, reality will listen to you now. You can change things."_

_"And whatever happens, for Good OR for Evil..." Both Aziraphale and I held his hands, and Aziraphale held up his blade, ready to defend the boy. "...we're beside you!"_

_"I'm going to start time." My words caught Adam's attention and he seemed to be genuinely thinking about what he was going to do. "You won't have long to do whatever you're going to do." I spun the tire iron in my hand, resuming time and shaking us slightly. "Do it quickly!" I shouted as we were back at the airbase again._

_We all watched as Satan horrifyingly enough DID come from the Earth and his monstrous wings that used to be so beautiful expanded out from his back. "Where's my son?" He then caught sight of Adam, and we let go of his hands as he tugged gently out of our grasp. "You! You're my REBELLIOUS son!? Come here!"_

_"You're not my Dad! Dad's don't wait until your eleven to say hello, and then turn up to tell you off!"_

_"WHAT!?"_

_"If I'm in trouble with my Dad, then it won't be you! It's going to be the Dad who was there. YOU'RE. NOT. MY. DAD!"_

_"What did you say?" Satan dared, but we knew Adam was braver than that._

_"You can do it!" Aziraphale cheered._

_"Say it, Adam!" I shouted as I stared up at the being I used to call my brother while standing next to one that truly had been a brother to me no matter what. "Say it again!"_

_"Come here!" Satan commanded as he slammed his fists down._

_"You're not my Dad, and you never were." At Adam's words, right before our eyes, Satan began to DISSOLVE until he was turned into mere dust in the one to be replaced by his Earthly Father showing up in a car._

_"Adam? Adam!"_

_"That's not really his Father."_

_"It is...It is NOW!" I stated with an impressed tone of voice. "And it always was. He did it." I allowed an honest and joyful smile to show as I watched Adam's Father approach us, but the memory shifted before he could say anything._


	11. Chapter 11

_Once we made it back to my flat, I conjured a chair for Aziraphale next to my throne, and we both sat down. "So, what do you make up Agnes' last prophecy?" I questioned as I sagged in my chair._

_"Well, I'm not quite sure. It feels like it's straight forward, but at the same time...not."_

_"Yeah, I know what you mean." I snapped my fingers and a bottle of Aziraphale's favorite wine appeared on my desk. I poured him a glass and gave it to him._

_"Thank you."_

_"Uh huh." I nodded my head as I poured myself a glass. "Let me see that paper again?"_

_"Yeah, here." He took the paper out of his pocket and handed it to me. _

_I held the torn parchment in my hand and I leaned back on my throne. "Well, she can't spell, but she has plenty of prophecies...and...they're all true?"_

_"Yes. There was even one about me when I first read it. My coco got cold."_

_I snorted out a laugh and gave a slight tilt of my head. "Now we know why her last name was Nutter. She's a bit crazy...well...but she was always right, and sometimes her translations were literal."_

_"Indeed. Anathama confirmed as much before we waited for the bus."_

_"Choose your faces wisely...for soon you will be playing with fire."_

_"Soon...well, after what we did...that would be tomorrow."_

_"Wait!" He looked at me in alarm after finishing his wine, which was quicker than he usually finished it. "You don't really think they'll be coming to get us tomorrow, do you?"_

_"Aziraphale...we played a big role in stopping Armageddon. The one thing BOTH of our sides had been waiting for, for millennia! They're not going to let us stay another day here on Earth."_

_"You're right. Gabriel was rather cross about the whole thing."_

_"Yes..." I drawled out as I looked into my wine glass. 'He was never usually so cross.' I looked at the paper and set my glass back down, and I looked at my plants, remembering my plant mister for some reason, but then it dawned on me. I leapt up from my throne, slightly startling Aziraphale._

_"Crowley!? What's wrong!?"_

_"Aziraphale! I know what they're going to do to us!"_

_"Oh? Aren't they just going to keep us from Earth?"_

_"Oh, no...they're going to do something far worse than that. They're not going to risk us EVER being on Earth again. They're going to kill us by our respective fires. Like a witch on pyre...like she was supposed to be...but either way! Aziraphale...they're going to dunk me in holy water and you'll be thrown into hellfire! The single things that will kills us FOREVER!"_

_"You...you can't be serious." He set his glass down on my desk as he looked up at me pleadingly. "I mean..." He let out a scoff as he shook his head. "...why would they..."_

_"Aziraphale! We RUINED their plans! We helped Adam stop Armageddon! We stood side by side in the end! By doing that, we BOTH became traitors. When they saw you stand by my side behind Adam, when they saw you defying them, they took that as you picking your side, and it wasn't with them! It was with me! A well known and powerful demon! For SOMEBODY'S sake! They probably know that we've spent time together for all these millennia! They're going to kill us Aziraphale. No more rude notes, punishments, reprimands, torture, and certainly not a 'slap on the wrist, please don't do it again!' Angel, they're not going to risk us knowing the world and those in it for another day, let alone each other. Playing with fire...it's completely literal for you, and me...well...I've personally seen what holy water does to a demon, and if I'm right...they're going to get someone to deliver the hellfire for you and the holiest of holy water for me!"_

_"W-Well...what do we do?"_

_"That's the middle bit, I suppose." I told him as I tried to calm down._

_"Choose your faces wisely..." He hummed out before pouring himself another glass of wine. "...as if we could just wear another face?"_

_My eyes shot wide at his comment. "Not just ANY face, Aziraphale! Each other's face!"_

_"Come again?"_

_"Remember what you said about it being a shame you couldn't inhabit my body?"_

_He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "W-Well, yes, but Crowley...I also mentioned we might explode."_

_"They're likely going to carry out our punishments at the same time. We're not going to be sharing a body, Angel...we're going to switch."_

_"Switch!? How do you suppose we go about doing that?"_

_"I don't know, but it's the only way. There has to be something that would enable us to switch. Something that we know, but haven't actually noticed before. Something that's always been there. Something that's most certainly not new. Something..."_

_"Something Ineffable?" _

_I looked at him and let out an honest chuckle. "Something like that, yeah. The unfortunate thing is...we have until dawn, AT LEAST, to figure it out."_

_"Right...well...let's start with our differences."_

_"Oh, yeah, start with the greatest list!"_

_"Hmm...I don't know about that, Crowley. Let's take turns. One of us will say a singular word and the other will say one word they associate with them. The person who started will say if that's what they think as well. That way it's not JUST differences...we'll see how we're similar as well."_

_"Alright, I'll play, but remember...we're likely to die tomorrow, so this'll have to be a quick game."_

_"Okay, no wine for this." Aziraphale snapped his fingers and the wine bottle along with the glasses vanished, and I let out a groan._

_"Fine. You go first."_

_"Okay, something easy...Children?"_

_"Protect." I answered without hesitation. "I can't stand anyone that kills kids. The only reason I suggested it was so that there wouldn't be an Armageddon to be had, but well...that worked out."_

_"Right...and I feel the same."_

_"Okay...Snake?" I questioned curiously._

_"Eden." He grinned. "That's where we met, and you turned from a snake into a demon."_

_"It's the same for me." I admitted as I narrowed my eyes. I took off my glasses and set them on the desk. "Oh, I don't think this is actually going to work. It has to be something stronger. We don't have much time. Something stronger..."_

_"Hmm..." There was silence for a good five minutes as we both contemplated, but then Aziraphale's look of realization appeared on his face as he stared up at me. "It's something between us!"_

_"Nah, really? I wouldn't have guessed!" I rolled my eyes, placing my hands in my pockets as I leaned against my desk, facing him._

_"Oh, hush, Crowley! I'm serious! Think about it! Since the Garden, since we met, since our eyes met, there was this sort of...bond created. A tether...or...something!"_

_"What on Earth are you getting at Aziraphale?"_

_He stood up and walked towards me with the most serious expression I had ever seen on him, and he took his wings out. "Crowley, let your wings out."_

_"WHAT!? WHY!?"_

_"Just DO IT!" He snapped, and my eyes widened._

_I did what he asked without another complaint and I was immensely confused. "Okay, what now?"_

_"I think...I think it's a matter of our grace."_

_"GRACE!? Angel, you've lost me."_

_"Well, essentially, our Grace is our souls, and well, we just say souls because it's easier and less complicated and sounds stronger, but..."_

_"Aziraphale, you're babbling. Calm down."_

_"Right, sorry, um...well, you know how if we're discorporated we have to wait for a new body?"_

_"Yeah, it's happened once or twice."_

_"What if...we moved our...souls...at the exact same time...into each other's body. That way, we're not inhabiting the same body, we're moving our souls AT THE SAME TIME into the other's body. Kind of like...cars passing each other on the same road...just on different sides. One going North and one going South, and that's how we'll end up in each other's body. To and From."_

_"That's brilliant, Aziraphale! How do you suppose we do that?" I tilted my head as I furrowed my brow and pursed my lips. "If we mess it up...we could combust."_

_"Well, Crowley, if you have another option, I'm all ears." He shot back at me as he crossed his arms. "We either risk combustion, or we literally walk to our deaths."_

_"Again...calm down, Aziraphale. Sarcasm is as much a part of me as my wings. Just...how do you think we should do that. That's powerful stuff. That's not a miracle, Aziraphale. That's trust."_

_"Yes, it's also kindness."_

_"And affection."_

_"And respect."_

_"And knowledge of one another."_

_"And...Guardian."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"Think about it Aziraphale...what's the one type of angel that humans always say they have as a joke or they honestly believe it?"_

_"A...Guardian angel...but...what would that have to do with..."_

_"Aziraphale...we've been each other's Guardian angel...Since. The. Day. We. Met. You're right, there's been this pull, this...something that keeps us near the other somehow, no matter what. But...it's more than that...Aziraphale...we're the SAME!"_

_"Last I checked, Crowley...I'm not fallen."_

_"Oh! Enough of that!" I shouted in exasperation. "I mean...we're the same in our souls! It's...I don't know how to explain it, but we're compatible! How many angels or demons do you know that share the same amount of power!? How many angels and demons do you know that can activate or deactivate the other's 'miracle'? How many angels and demons do you know that can hold a civil conversation for longer than five minutes let alone SIX THOUSAND YEARS!? How many angels and demons do you know that share the same sentiments for children, people, and the Earth!?"_

_"I...well..." He started stammering for an answer, but I interrupted him._

_"Our souls! They're...compatible...somehow. I don't know how...but they are." I looked him in the eyes and mine widened slightly as another realization came to me. 'And...if his soul is compatible with mine...that means his soul has the power of an Archangel...or at the very least half of one.'_

_"So...we're compatible..." He rose an eyebrow at me as he slid his hands in his pockets._

_"So that means we won't combust! I don't know what MIGHT happen, but we won't explode, I know that much."_

_"Oh! That's good! I would rather not explode."_

_"You and me both." I sighed out as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "So...now all we have to do is figure out how to switch our...souls."_

_"It would take physical contact...that way it can pass through."_

_"Yes, but it would take an important physical contact. One that means something to the both of us."_

_He tilted his head at me with a curious expression. "How do you figure?"_

_"It's our SOULS, Aziraphale. Our Grace! It's not something that's just going to happen with a high five or a hug. It has to mean something to the both of us."_

_We both sat back down in our chairs and contemplated again. After a while, Aziraphale spoke up. "If it has to be physical contact, and it has to mean something to the both of us...we have to go through the years where we've had any meaningful contact."_

_"Oh, don't say it like that." I gave a violent shudder. "You make it sound like we're romantically involved. No. No thank you."_

_"First of, Crowley, you're being a child, and secondly, I would never insinuate such a thing!"_

_"Not on purpose apparently." I grumbled. "Okay, right. Let's see...the first time we had any physical contact with each other was...on the wall in Eden. Our wings." I brought mine forward, not realizing I hadn't put it back, but neither did Aziraphale. "But...that was when we met. Since our friendship has been going as long as it has and..."_

_"...and no one interrupted it or successfully stopped it. Our friendship was Ineffable."_

_"Right." I nodded my head, and pulled my wings back in as I watched him do the same._

_"The next time we had contact was at the Ark, but that doesn't really seem like something that would leave an imprint on our Grace, or Souls, as it were."_

_"Correct."_

_"Hmm...we've gotten along for so long...it may take too long to-"_

_"THAT'S IT!" I shouted as his words gave me the greatly needed realization needed. "Aziraphale! You're a bloody genius!"_

_"I-I am? What did I say?"_

_"WE. GET. ALONG!" I let out an overjoyed laugh as I leapt up from my throne. "We get along! Our souls may be compatible, and we've always been there for each other...but even with that...we've had our GRAND differences, and the one thing we could ALWAYS rely on if not each other at times was the-"_

_"-Arrangement! The arrangement! No other demon or angel has that! Not even with each other! We get along, we have each other's back that way! We covered the other from Heaven and Hell! Oh! Crowley! That's brilliant!"_

_"I told you, you were a genius! Do you remember how we agreed on the arrangement?"_

_"We..."_

_"...we shook hands on it!" I jumped up like a kid. "Angel! We can pull this off! We can switch! We can swap places!"_

_"Oh! I do hope you're right!" He got up and I walked around the desk to meet him. I held out my hand to him and he took it. "Right...on the count of three. One..."_

_"...two..."_

_"THREE!" We both focused on each of our souls and suddenly there was a violent thunder storm outside as well as inside. There was no rain, just heavy thunder and there was lightning striking...harmlessly...against the floor, which was odd, but this whole thing was odd. The wind encircled us, and I continued to focus my soul into his body, which sounded wrong on all accounts, but I did, and I could feel mine and his souls passing through our arms, and I noticed our clothes were changing. Suddenly, we weren't in my flat anymore. We were in the middle of the universe near the beautiful nebula I helped create, and our wings were out completely. Once I felt my soul was completely gone from my physical body, I opened my eyes, and looked at my physical body. It was weird to see. Then, my physical body's eyes opened. Once we both looked into each other's eyes, we were back in my flat and we were both flown across opposite ends of the room, which was thoroughly trashed, but that wouldn't be a problem._

_"A-Aziraphale?" I asked with HIS voice. I couldn't help but let out a laugh as I got up and I watched him do the same._

_"IT WORKED!" We both shouted and we hugged each other immediately. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE!" We told the other in unison.  
_

_I backed out of the hug and noticed tears were falling from Aziraphale's eyes that used to be mine, and I wiped them away while he wiped away my apparent tears. "R-Right..." I cleared my throat. "...so...we should probably see if we can swap back without anything like that happening. Wouldn't want to be in St. James' Park and suddenly everyone's introduced to the universe."_

_"Good point." It was weird hearing my voice with Aziraphale's demeanor, but I couldn't care less at the moment. He wasn't going to die. We held onto each other's hands again, and we swapped back, but this time there was no storm. We both simply watched as the other's PHYSICAL appearance shifted and faded to the other's original appearance. "Oh! That feels strange."_

_"No kidding! But...Aziraphale...WE DID IT! Come on, let's switch back and stay that way until our...trials...are over. This way, we can figure out how to BE the other. We can't leave anything to chance. We have to act exactly like the other."_

_"You're right." We switched again and we both rolled our shoulders and necks, trying to get used to the different body weight. However, when we switched back, we both looked at each other with confused glances. "Y-Your soul..." He started._

_"...you're too..." I nodded my head._

_"D-Did we just..."_

_"...I think we did." I answered as I held my hands to my 'new' core. "We split our souls. Now each of us has a half of the other."_

_"And we're not exploding?" He blinked at me in surprise._

_"And we're not exploding." I nodded with just as much surprise. "Well, we should get on with it. First, they're going to definitely notice which is which just by our body language. I'd like to think that after six thousand years we know each other's body language well enough, but we can't risk it."_

_"You're right. So, this is how I see you walk." I watched him walk across the room, and there was WAY too much sway in his hips._

_I couldn't help but double over laughing. "OH! You have GOT to be kidding me? You're making my his sway more than a cat's tail!"_

_"Am I?" He asked and then looked at 'his' hips. "Must be the difference in body weight."_

_"Probably. Just...try a little smoother. Think...less cat tail and more...slithering snake."_

_"You CAN'T be serious!"_

_"Angel, I'm not going to be joking about ANYTHING until AFTER our 'Trials'. So, yes. I'm serious."_

_"Very well then." He sighed out and started walking again._

_"Perfect! You've got it! Now, you just have to do that with your hands in your pockets." I watched him repeat the same walk, and I shook my head. "No, no...my hands are like this in my pockets." I stuffed my new hands into my new pockets. He looked at me and copied what I did. "Exactly! Now, you don't have to over sell it, just sometimes. Remember how I act when people say things to me in a certain way and act on instinct. We HAVE known each other for six thousand years after all. Some things we have to learn and others...I imagine will come to us. Now, my turn. This is how I see you walk." I stood a bit straighter and placed my hands where I know he usually places his hands, and I walked as gracefully as I was able._

_"That's...actually spot on!" _

_"Oi! I know what I'm doing!" I chuckled out. "Now, the facial expression are going to be tricky. Your facial expression can practically SCREAM your emotions while mine do not. So, we're going to have to work on that."_

_"Right."_

_The memory shifted to me standing outside the bookshop and I walked in. I inspected the minor surfaces by gently touching them and I soon noticed a set of books on the roll top desk he usually sits and writes at. "Those are new." After seeing that nothing was harmed or out of place...too much...I turned the sign to closed and I walked out to head to St. James' Park. The memory blinked, showing me and Aziraphale disguised as me, getting our ice creams. "How's the car?" I asked while the man dug in his cart for a scoop of ice cream. _

_"Not a scratch on it. How's the bookshop."_

_"Not a smudge. Not a book burned. Everything back, just the way it was." I noticed he was giving too much of a smile so I quickly asked, "You heard from your people yet?"_

_He shook his head with a slight frown. "Yours?"_

_"Nothing."_

_He then leaned over to me with a curious expression on his face. "Do you...understand what happened yesterday?"_

_The words, 'With our souls?' went unsaid, but heard loud and clear. "Well, I understand some of it, but some of it...well, it's just a little bit too..."_

_"Ineffable!" A dark and familiar voice called out in front of us. It was Death."_

_"Oh, that's...that's funny seeing him here...that's meant to be bad luck."_

_Right at his words I was grabbed by people, and they put something around my mouth to keep me from talking as they dragged me away. The memory blinked once again, and I was inspecting my hands carefully in the chair. The tops of my hands, because of the holy rope they put on me, were starting to redden. "AH! Aziraphale..." I heard Gabriel behind me. "So glad you could join us."_

_"You could've just sent a message." I told him, not appreciating him grabbing Aziraphale's shoulder like that, knowing what he was about to do to him. "I mean, a kidnapping in broad daylight."_

_"Call it what it was: An extraordinary rendition. Now, have we heard from our new associate?"_

_"He's on his way." Uriel stated calmly._

_"He's on his way." Gabriel repeated happily. "I think you're gonna like this." He told me as he clasped his hands together with a joyful smile as he started walking towards me. "I really do. And I bet you didn't see this one coming."_

_'Oh, you're right. I didn't. Agnes did.' I gave him a small nod and a twitch of what I believed to be a nervous smile with a risen brow._

_"Don't get this view down in the basement!" I heard a somewhat familiar demon's voice call from behind. He's the one that gets discorporated the most. I then watched as he tossed hellfire into a medium sized pit, creating a vortex of hellfire, not unlike the wall I drove through, just more...controlled._

_"So! With ONE act of treason, you averted the war."_

_'Just one? Which one?' As much as I wanted to smart off, I had to keep appearances. "Well, I think the greater good-"_

_"Don't talk to me about the greater good, Sunshine! I'm the Archangel Fucking Gabriel! The Greater Good was we were finally going to settle things with the opposition once and for all."_

_'Where's the Gabriel I knew?'_

_Uriel stepped forward and released the binds, instantly erasing the burn marks. "Up!" She commanded in a soft but urging tone. _

_I did as I was told and stood up as I looked at the vortex of fire. "I don't suppose I can get you to reconsider? We're supposed to be the good guys for Heaven's sake!"_

_"Well, for Heaven's sake, we are meant to make examples out of traitors. So...into the flame."_

_'He...He really expects Aziraphale to just WILLINGLY walk into the fire!?' I so desperately wanted to teach him a lesson, but I couldn't, and it was agonizing. 'This is how Aziraphale would've died!' I stepped closer to the vortex, and focused on acting like Aziraphale. "Right...well...lovely knowing you all. May we meet on a better occasion."_

_"Shut your stupid mouth, and die already!" _

_'This isn't AT ALL the Gabriel I knew. I guess he's gone. This one's way too bitter and hateful.' I kept up appearances for Aziraphale's sake. 'I'm not going to let you talk to Aziraphale like that, Gabriel. If you think I am, you've got another thing coming...even though you don't KNOW I'm me...AT ALL!' I stepped into the flames and they were so warm and comforting in a very strange way. They also relieved some of the muscle aches I got from sitting in that God forsaken chair with those damnable ropes. "Ahh..." I breathed out, and I felt like my neck needed to pop so I did that and it felt great. I then opened my eyes to look at Gabriel, Uriel, and Sandalphon, and was pleased to see them just a LITTLE bit terrified. 'Time to crank it up a notch. Sorry, Aziraphale. You're about to look crazy.' I breathed the fire out of the vortex and to my surprise, it worked. It almost touched them, causing them to have to back away a great deal._

_"It may be worse...than we thought."_

_"What. Is. He?" Uriel questioned as calmly as she could, but the walls of her calmness were being burned down...by hellfire, and I couldn't help but smile at them all._

_"Gabriel, would you like to come in? It feels so warm and toasty!" I taunted and he shook his head. "Right, well, such a shame. It does feel rather nice. So, if you're not going to join me, and if all I'm going to do is stand here all day...perhaps I could persuade you to allow me to leave?" He snapped his fingers and called for the demon to collect the flames, and the sight of me frightened the demon enough to where he collected it, and immediately vanished with it. "Well..." I started as I adjusted my jacket and bow tie. "...now that, that's over with. I assume I can trust that I won't be bothered again?" They all nodded their heads frantically and I smiled at them pleasantly. "Jolly good then. May I leave?" They nodded their heads and waved their hands at me, making me appear in St. Jame's Park where they took me from. Thankfully no one noticed. The memory blinked once more and it was me and Aziraphale on one of the park benches. "So, do you think they'll leave us alone now?" I asked as I leaned back on the bench like I usually would while Aziraphale sat up in my form like he would've if he were himself._

_"At a guess...they'll pretend it never happened."_

_"Hmm..." I hummed out. 'That'd be nice.'_

_"Right...anyone looking?"_

_I looked around and then realized that wasn't enough, so I placed my hands on the side of my head, reaching my energy out as far and as fast as I could. When it came back, no one supernatural was looking. Not even humans for that matter. "Nobody. Right. Swap back then." I held out my hand and he took it gladly, causing us to swap souls again, but once we were ourselves again, we stretched and both felt that we still had the other half of the other's soul._

The memories disappeared all together and we were back in the room again, before the memory journey started.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well..." Gabriel breathed out. "...with that, we can tell that you are still capable of love, loyalty, faith, devotion, companionship, and you obviously hold some divinity still. There's also the matter that you and Aziraphale have been side by side and God has not struck you down, which means you're friendship and brotherly bond is Ineffable at this point, and we can't very well go against that. Can we, Sandalphon?" He turned to face the Archangel in question, who let out a frustrated and defeated sigh.

"I suppose not." He rolled his eyes. "But! There are still trials ahead. Not as...extensive...but just as difficult."

"I was never under the impression this was going to be easy. Besides, easy isn't really my style."

"No, I can certainly confirm that." Aziraphale smirked, easing some of my tension. Some of it.

"So, what's the next test?" I asked as I slipped my hands back into my pockets. "I'm already under truth serum."

"Indeed." Sandalphon nodded his head. "And your predicament is...strange. This test was created for AVERAGE demons. Not HALF demons and HALF Archangels, so some things may need to be...adjusted...for you...but we'll worry about that with that next and final test. For now, the next test you'll be facing is a test of trust. Since the person you trust the most is Aziraphale, he'll be the recipient of the test."

"Except...that wouldn't work." Gabriel started, catching my attention, because he seemed to be happy that it wouldn't work. "They've already passed that test in the most incredible way possible. We saw it. And it was far more drastic and extensive than the test that we would've done for them. They risked their souls...their grace...and swapped bodies to accept the other's fate, and then they stepped in fire and bathed in holy water. They showed they were more than willing to go and die for each other, and the memories showed how much Raphael was willing to do for Aziraphale. We're just down to one more test."

"And what would that be? Confess my sins? Another bath?" I kept my glare on Sandalphon, who returned the daggers in kind.

"Well...It's holy light." Michael answered with a slightly worried expression which was more concerning than the possibility of confessing six thousand years worth of sins.

"I-I'm sorry? What? Holy light? But that..."

"Let there be light." Sandalphon smirked, and snapped his fingers, creating a beam of light coming down from the sky light and it was so bright, it made the rest of the room seem pitch black. "When you step in, God herself will judge you and speak to you."

"You um...you sure I can't just I don't know...take another bath?" I looked at the bright beam of light and although I couldn't see him, because of how bright the light was, I knew Aziraphale was urging me to go ahead, silently saying it would be okay. So, I stepped forward and I was immediately brought to my knees. There was an explosive sound that was a hundred times more powerful than a sonic boom, and we were all forced into the small pocket of a dimension that I had created. "What happened?" I asked them all as I tried to rub my eyes, but I couldn't move.

"Well, that's a good question." Gabriel breathed out as he looked around. I noticed his wings were forced out as well as everyone else's. Sandalphon's wings were silver.

"Huh, nice wings, Sandalphon." He glared at me, but his eyes said that he appreciated my words. "Um...God?"

"Crowley."

"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think you forgot about me. What um...what was that explosion?"

"Just me forcing your dimension open and dragging the six of you into it."

"Am I...am I allowed to ask questions now?'

"It's your test, Crowley."

"Right..." I nodded my head. "...well...Hell doesn't want me..."

"I know." She seemed to let out a heavy sigh.

"Did you know I would eventually get here?"

"Yes."

"Gabriel says that Heaven will welcome me again..."

"But it's not what you want."

I smiled brightly as I shook my head. "No, it's not. I was too different for Heaven and apparently too good for Hell. There's only ever been one place that I completely belong, and that I could be...well...almost myself."

"I know."

"I know you know!" I groaned out.

"I also heard you when you told me to show you a great plan and that I shouldn't test the humans to destruction. However, it wasn't just the humans I was testing, Crowley. I was testing the fallen and the angels."

"WHAT!?" The four Archangels in the room shouted next to me in shock and something resembling fear. I turned my head to look at Aziraphale, and he seemed just as confused as the rest of us, but then his signature look of realization appeared on his face.

"And..." He started carefully. "...Crowley and I...passed?"

"Oh! Don't be ridiculous!" Sandalphon spat.

"Actually, yes, you did. Now, Sandalphon, I would calm your jealousy, pride, and wrath if I were you. It's not becoming of an angel of your station."

I watched with mild amusement as Sandalphon's wings dropped at the same time as he paled completely. "So wait...how did we pass? What was the test?" I questioned, but was also suddenly afraid of the question. You were never meant to know that you were being tested.

"The test was loyalty, hardship, camaraderie, love, and faith. The two of you passed because you were there for each other despite your vast differences of who you are, opinions, methods, likes, and dislikes. You were still there for each other. You got along despite being an angel and a...half...demon."

"Okay...so...another question..."

"I would expect nothing less form you, Crowley."

"Was mine and Aziraphale's friendship...Ineffable?"

"By definition you are not to know that. You should know better."

"Right...just thought I'd ask. So...I've gone through the whole tests and trials thing...am I redeemed? What happens now?"

"Crowley...you never NEEDED to be redeemed. You're just as I intended. However, you can have your title back as Archangel Raphael, despite the fact that I don't plan on restoring you to a full Archangel. This is what the other angels will know you as, but your station will be on Earth with Aziraphale, and you will still be known as Crowley...the HALF demon and Half Archangel."

"S-So...wait...they um...they said something about three wishes, I know it's greedy and selfish, but..."

"It's not. Your wishes are to keep Aziraphale safe are selfless, and I will allow it. I will also give you something to fill the void of the third wish, despite you not actually needing to be redeemed. I wouldn't have given you that staircase if I didn't want you to be this way."

"But why? Surely it's more than to...to...test me!"

"It is, but that's for me to know. So, Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Sandalphon..."

"YES!?" They chorused with curious and wondrous expressions.

"Consider him redeemed if you wish, and grant him his wishes. You have your Raphael and there are once again five Archangels, but this one is to remain on Earth, Guarding Aziraphale, and Aziraphale is to guard him, continuing what they've been doing."

"YES, LORD!"

With that we were all back in the original room, the light shift causing my eyes to need time to adjust. Once my eyes were adjusted to the room I was able to stand once again, although I staggered slightly. "Whoa!" I heard Aziraphale shout quickly before he steadied me, holding my shoulders. "Are you alright, Crowley?"

"Think so...oh! The truth serum wore off!" I stood a bit straighter and felt his hands fall away, but that was fine. I was steady now, and I was going to get my wishes granted, which reminds me. "So...she said she would give me something for the third wish...but it's not here."

"Perhaps it's back at my shop? After all...that's where this whole thing started."

"You're right." I nodded at him before returning my gaze to the four Archangels, and I looked directly at Sandalphon. "I'm sure Gabriel is right, that somewhere in you is a good heart, but unless you're going to show some more respect to Aziraphale, don't talk to either of us." He frantically nodded his head, causing me to grin confidently. "Good! So, can one of you send us back to the-" With a flash of light we were outside the bookshop. "-bookshop." I scoffed out a laugh. "Well, let's go see what SHE left me."

"Right." Aziraphale moved to open the door, and nothing in particular was there, but then we heard movement. "A pet, maybe?"

"When did I ever give the impression I need a pet?" He gave me a shrug and we continued in with him closing the door behind us. "Hello?" I asked like some cliche horror movie character.

"Oh!" At that one word, that one voice, that one tone, that one beautiful sound, I felt my knees go weak as they continued forward on their own. Then, out from the back where Aziraphale and I usually sat and drank, a woman with maple brown hair tied into a nice pony tail with a red ribbon, wearing a red T-shirt that had a snake on it, black pants, and black boots, came out holding an Oscar Wilde book. "I was wondering when the two of you would get home."

"H-Home!?"

"Yes. Home." She nodded her head. "God...rearranged things."

"How!?" I gaped and then realized what she said. "Wait...how long have you been here?"

"Since you left." She grinned at me as she walked closer. "I take it, you know my name? I mean, I should hope so...we've met in two of my past lives already."

"J-Juliana!"

"Anthony." She sighed out and then looked at Aziraphale who was just as breathless and weak-kneed as I was. "Aziraphale."

"W-Wait...how are you here? WHY are you here? Why would she send another human Juliana to me!"

"Oh, that's right, sorry, I was caught up in seeing you again, I didn't ACTUALLY explain. Well, she came to me shortly after you left, and I don't really have any family, so when she offered to show me people I loved in my past lives, I couldn't pass it up. Plus, who am I to deny God? Anyway, she showed me, and I cried tears of joy. Not only had I loved a demon and gone to see Hamlet, I had also had another life where I loved both a demon AND an angel. You AND Aziraphale. I asked her why she showed me that, and she told me it was because she wanted to give you something, Anthony. She wanted to give you me. However, I'm not human."

"Y-You're not!?" Aziraphale shouted. "Wait...you REALLY DID love me too!?"

"Yes. I loved you both. As wrong as one might think...I did. God said she wasn't angry at me for it either. However, when she gave me those memories...she gave me the feelings that came with them as well...and...back to the 'me not being human' part..." She carefully set the book down and to both mine and Aziraphale's immense surprise, she had wings gracefully appear behind her back. The left side was Aziraphale's white and on the right was my black. "I have your wings. Well, copies of them anyway. I'm both an Angel and a Demon as well, that way I don't fall."

I rushed forward and held her tightly in my arms, giving her the most passionate kiss I could, drawing her breath out of her body, allowing my tongue to dive into her mouth, and I moaned at the feel of it. Of her. In my arms. In front of me. Now, and forever! Once I let go of her she gave me a dazed look and then she looked at Aziraphale, and I watched as she gave him a gentle and chaste kiss on the lips that lingered for quite a bit, but somewhere in the middle of the kiss he had wrapped an arm around her back and placed a hand on the back of her neck, drawing her closer. Soon, the kiss ended and I couldn't help but let out a fond chuckle. "Oh...Oh my..." Aziraphale sighed out happily.

"So, Juliana, two for the price of one?" I commented and she gave us both a brilliantly bright smile

"Seems so." She sighed, and Aziraphale had to steady himself against one of the bookshelves, causing me to let out a light laugh. "Oh! This is a perfect beginning!" She squealed as her eyes lit up with joy, wonder, and excitement. "And to think...it all started with Aziraphale giving you a truth serum and Gabriel getting kidnapped!"

Aziraphale and I looked at each other and smiled. "...and a Garden. It also started...with a Garden." We chorused together, and we all knew that every day was going to be a different adventure from now on.


End file.
